With Week one in the books, we know look ahead to Week 2 of the high school football season and week 1 of the college football season for most. Most coaches do go and say the best adjustments from made from Week one to week two. Well, with that being said, here are the games for Week 2 (and Week 1 of the college football season).
Abington Heights vs North Pocono
Time: Fri 7 PM
The Comets are coming a bad loss to Scranton Prep. North Pocono is coming off a victory over Riverside. George Tinsley threw for 25 yards for Abington Heights. The Trojans offense was led by JC Gaughan who rushed for 112 yards and four touchdowns. With the open tournament format of the 5A District Tournament, Abington Heights doesn't need to win but it would build momentum for the rest of their season. For the defending District 2 4A Champions, the Trojans look to keep their momentum going as they try to go to 2-0 on the young season.
Prediction: North Pocono
Dallas vs Berwick
Time: Fri 7 PM
Dallas is coming off a big victory over Coughlin. Berwick is coming off a road victory over Hazleton Area. The Bulldogs open up at Crispin Field for the first time this season. The Mountaineers Leonard Kelley rushed for 206 yards and four touchdowns and returned an interception for a touchdown for five overall touchdowns on the game. Berwick's Evan Klinger rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown against Hazleton Area. Both teams are much different than last season but who will come out on top?
Prediction: Dallas
Old Forge vs Carbondale
Time: Fri 7 PM
Old Forge is coming off a shutout of Hanover Area. Carbondale is coming being shutout by Western Wayne. Freshman quarterback Dante Lucarelli threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns for the Blue Devils. For Carbondale, Nick Vadella rushed for 34 yards in the loss to Western Wayne. Both teams were in opposite directions last week but will the result be different on either side is the question.
Prediction: Old Forge
Wyoming Area at Crestwood
Time: Fri 7 PM
Wyoming Area is coming a tight win against Wallenpaupack. Crestwood is coming off a victory over Pittston Area. Wyoming Area's Marc Minichello caught 6 passes for 36 yards and Darren Rodney rushed for their lone touchdown last week. Crestwood junior QB Chase Passman threw for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Nick Grosek ran in for two touchdowns last week. The biggest question for Wyoming Area is will PJ Angeli play. If not, it looks like the reigns will go to sophomore Dominic Deluca.
Prediction: Wyoming Area
Delaware Valley at Valley View
Time: Fri 7 PM
Delaware Valley is coming off a victory in Florida. Valley View is coming off a convincing victory over Lakeland. Delaware Valley's Nick Reilly threw for 255 yards and one touchdown. Ryan Oviedo rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown. Valley View's Seth Vernon had 138 on FIVE carries and a touchdown. The Cougars defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns. This game is definitely the game of the week as both teams won big games last week. The question will be which team will come out on top.
Prediction: Delaware Valley
Dunmore at Lackawanna Trail
Time: Fri 7 PM
Dunmore is coming off a victory over West Scranton. Lackawanna Trail won a close game against Mid Valley. Bucks freshman RB Cristian Buckley rushed for 112 yards. Gavin Darcy ran in for two touchdowns. He also threw for 72 yards. Lions QB Nathan Rolka threw for 101 yards and rushed for three touchdowns. Both teams look very promising and both look like young teams. A win here could build momentum throughout the rest of the season.
Prediction: Dunmore
GAR at Western Wayne
Time: Fri 7 PM
GAR is coming off a surprising loss to Honesdale. Western Wayne is off a shutout of Carbondale. GAR quarterback TaShawn Qualls threw for 113 yards and a touchdown. Malachai Williams had two catches for 91 yards and a touchdown for the Grenadiers. Matt Valanda threw for 166 yards and a touchdown in Western Wayne's win last week. Kobe Sauter added 91 yards and a touchdown in the victory. With GAR coming off a disappointing loss and Western Wayne coming off a big win, could it turn into a possible upset? Remember that Western Wayne last year was an underdog last year and they ended up taking a road victory.
Prediction: Western Wayne
Hanover Area at Blue Mountain
Time: Fri 7 PM
Hanover Area is coming off a loss to Old Forge. Blue Mountain is coming off a loss to Muhlenberg. Hanover Area senior wide receiver Sean Coleman had six catches for 61 yards last week. Blue Mountain quarterback David Crewson threw for 212 yards and ran in for a touchdown. Eagles Wide receiver Nate Calderone had 10 catches for 179 yards. A rare out of conference game for both teams but time will tell how the teams will fare after an opening night loss.
Prediction: Blue Mountain
Hazleton Area at Valley West
Time: Fri 7 PM
Hazleton Area is coming off a loss to Berwick. Valley West is coming off a loss to Scranton. Sparky Wolk threw for 161 yards and Damon Horton ran in for a touchdown for the Cougars. The Spartans had a great game from Sean Mitkovitch. He rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns. Both teams are 0-2 but both teams made their games close in the first week and adjusts will tell who will come out on top.
Prediction: Valley West
Scranton at Honesdale
Time: Fri 7 PM
Scranton is coming off a win against Valley West. Honesdale is coming off a surprising victory over GAR. Scranton RB Rheyse Green ran for 252 yards and four touchdowns in the victory over Valley West. Knights wideout Reggie Dickey caught 4 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. The Hornets Andy Carroll ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Beau Freiermuth ran for 115 yards and a touchdown in the upset victory over GAR. Will the Knights offense be able to put up the numbers they did against Valley West or will the Hornets be able to pull off another victory at home?
Prediction: Scranton
Northwest at Lake-Lehman
Time: Fri 7 PM
The Rangers are coming off a loss to North Penn. Lake-Lehman is coming off a home victory over Meyers. Jake Anderson ran for 100 yards for Northwest and David Piestrak ran in for a touchdown. Trey Borger made a big splash in his return from injury for the Black Knights. He ran for 170 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught 3 passes for 41 yards. Matt Kurtz also ran for 77 yards and a touchdown. Both these teams are coming into this game 1-0. What defense will be able to contain the running game of each side?
Prediction: Lake-Lehman
Meyers at Montrose
Time: Fri 7 PM
Meyers is coming off a loss to Lake-Lehman. Montrose is coming off a loss to Susquehanna. Meyers QB Janssen Wilborn threw for 145 yards and ran in for a touchdown. Reese Patronick caught 5 passes for 94 yards for the Mohawks. Meteors QB Maverick Tims threw for 68 yards and two touchdowns. John Herman ran for 54 yards in the loss to Susquehanna. Both teams are coming off a loss, what team will rebound and made the better adjustments going into Week 2?
Prediction: Meyers
Riverside at Mid Valley
Time: Fri 7 PM
The Vikings are coming off a loss to North Pocono. The Spartans are coming off a loss to Lackawanna Trail. Vikings RB Chase Briskie ran for 95 yards. Johnny Gilchrist threw for 35 yards and a touchdown. Mid Valley RB Joe Chylak ran for 219 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Zach Cianflone threw for 88 yards. One team came off losing a close game and the other is coming off a blowout loss. Both teams have pressure to qualify for the postseason so a win here will be of most importance.
Pittston Area at Tunkhannock
Time: Fri 7 PM
Pittston Area is coming off a loss to Crestwood. Tunkhannock is coming off a loss to Nanticoke. Walter Coles threw for 95 yards and a touchdown for the Patriots. Wide receiver Kevin Krawczyk caught two passes for 32 yards. Tigers RB Logan Cywinski ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Zach Rogers threw for 68 yards last week against Nanticoke. I'm expecting a tight close game from these two teams. Both teams have some interesting pieces around each other to make an interesting run to the District 2 4A Playoffs.
Prediction: Pittston Area
Wallenpaupack at West Scranton
Time: Fri 7 PM
Wallenpaupack is coming off a close loss to Wyoming Area. West Scranton is coming off a loss to Dunmore. Tom McCormick threw for 94 yards last week for the Buckhorns. Nicholas Ruggieri ran for 59 yards. Invaders RB Kevin Williams ran for 117 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Shayne Merrifield caught 4 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. After not scoring a touchdown against Wyoming Area, the Buckhorns look to get it going against the Invaders. The Invaders are looking to get their first win of the season after losing to Dunmore in Week 1.
Prediction: West Scranton
Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech at Nanticoke
Time: Fri 7 PM
Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech is coming off a loss to Panther Valley. Nanticoke is coming off a victory over Tunkhannock. Nanticoke RB Eric Jeffries ran for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Matt Wrubel ran in for two touchdown and threw a touchdown pass. The Trojans have typically dominated Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech since 2009 and it looks like the streak will in all likelihood continue.
Prediction: Nanticoke
Lakeland at Holy Cross
Time: Sat 1 PM
Lakeland is coming off a disappointing loss to Valley View. The Crusaders are coming off being shutout by Holy Redeemer. Chiefs Quarterback Nico Piraino threw for 77 yards and a touchdown. RB Giovanni Spataro ran for 92 yards and a touchdown. The Crusaders Jason Kopf ran for 63 yards and Dan Dougherty caught two passes for 14 yards. I don't believe the loss to Valley View will derail Lakeland, I believe that they are still a good enough team to make the District 2 2A Playoffs. The Crusaders look like they are too young to be competitive but are looking to the future.
Prediction: Lakeland
Coughlin at Scranton Prep
Time: Sat 1:30 PM
Coughlin is coming off a surprising blowout loss to Dallas. Scranton Prep is coming off a convincing blowout of Abington Heights on the road. Coughlin QB Vincent Todd threw for 82 yards and a touchdown and ran for 34 yards. Jacob Cole also added 40 yards for Coughlin. Scranton Prep RB Matt Gilmartin ran for 140 yards and five touchdowns. QB Leo O'Boyle threw for 97 yards in the victory. The Cavaliers come in as the top team in my rankings and Coughlin just had a disappointing loss. To top it off, the Cavaliers convincingly beat Abington Heights in their own place.
Prediction: Scranton Prep
Susquehanna at Holy Redeemer (at Lake-Lehman HS)
Time: Sat 2 PM
Susquehanna is coming off a victory over Montrose. The Royals are coming off a opening day victory over Holy Cross. Sabers QB CJ Stone threw for 163 yards and a touchdown in the victory over Montrose. Receiver Sam Cosmello caught two passes for 51 yards. Royals senior QB JD Turosky threw for 162 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore wideout Jared Piontkowski caught four passes for 69 yards and a touchdown. The Royals have never started the season 2-0 and they always seem to play Susquehanna tough.
Prediction: Holy Redeemer
Moravian at King's
Time: Thurs 7 PM
King's offense is led by senior co-captain quarterback Zach Whitehead. He threw for 2,832 yards and 19 touchdowns last season and looks to improve on last season. Moravian senior wide receiver Aaron Hudson returns after catching 65 passes and 781 yards and seven touchdowns. It looks like it could be a high scoring game but we will have to see.
Prediction: Moravian
Note: If you see this on Friday, note that I put most of this together before the game on Thursday night.
Wilkes at Muhlenberg
Time: Sat 1 PM
Jose Tabora is now the full time starter at quarterback for the Colonels. He threw for 1,098 yards and eight toucchdowns. On the ground, he ran for 348 yards and four touchdowns. Tight End Garrett Armstrong returns as their leading receiver as he caught 36 passes or 390 yards and five touchdowns. Muhlenberg returns leading rusher Nick Savant. He ran for 1,589 yards and 18 touchdowns. They return several starters on the offensive line.
Prediction: Muhlenberg
Misericordia at Merchant State
Time: Sat 1 PM
Brandon Leap returns as the starting quarterback for Misericordia. He threw for 979 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Sam Gillison caught 50 passes for 582 yards.
Prediction: Merchant State
Stonehill at Bloomsburg
Time: Sat 1 PM
The Huskies return Defensive linemen Chris Gary. He had 12.5 sacks last season. Bloomsburg Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Michael Allen returns. He caught 29 passes for 464 yards and one touchdown. Stonehill returns their starting quarterback in Matt Foltz. He threw for 2,058 yards and 11 touchdowns. Sophomore wideout Andrew Jamiel returns as well. He caught 91 passes for 843 yards and seven touchdowns.
Prediction: Bloomsburg
Akron at Penn State
Time: Sat 12 PM
Akron is coming into Penn State with upset on their mind. Zips LB Ulysees Gilbert III returns after recording 122 tackles and four sacks. Penn State comes into the 2017 season with great expectations coming in. PSU Starting quarterback Trace McSorley returns after leading the team to a Big Ten Title. He threw for 3,614 yards and 29 touchdowns. Star RB Saquon Barkley also returns for the Nittany Lions. He ran for 1,496 yards and 18 touchdowns. Expectations are high at Happy Valley but I wouldn't be surprised if Akron makes it a close game.
Prediction: Penn State
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Monday, August 28, 2017
Delving into College Football
The High School Football season started officially last week and this week, college football will start. In this article, I will discussing the five local college football programs. Those being King's, Wilkes, Misericordia, Bloomsburg, and Penn State. Penn State will probably be the program I will cover the most this season so look forward to that. With that being said, here are the previews for those college football programs.
King's College Monarchs
The Monarchs return several players on both sides of the ball. On offense, they return quarterback Zach Whitehead who threw for 2,832 yards and 19 touchdowns. Other returning starter is Tyler Marroni who caught 53 passes and had 749 yards. Several questions remaining on offense. The offensive line lost three starters and the running backs are inexperienced. On defense, the graduation of Bobby Russell deems large but they return several key players such as Bruce Damon and Hassan Maxwell at linebacker for King's. Jake Manetti returns as a starting safety for the Monarchs. He had 69 tackles and two interceptions. King's looks like they will have an explosive passing game, the question is will they be able to compete with the top teams in the MAC?
Wilkes Colonels
The Colonels look to improve from their 3-7 mark from last year. Two of those three victories were against Lycoming College and Stevenson. Sophomore quarterback Jose Tabora returns after starting late in the season. He threw for 1,098 yards and eight touchdowns. At receiver, Aaron Coyne returns. He had 21 catches for 250 yards. Zach Bogoly returns after recording 20 catches and 303 yards. All-American and All-MAC Tight End Garrett Armstrong returns after a 36 catch, 390 yard season last year. The offensive line returns three starters from last season. The strength of the defense looks to be their linebackers with returning starters in Lukas Wood, Michael Murphy and Bud Moyer. The secondary was the hardest hit by graduation as was the defensive line. The question with Wilkes is can they improve from their 3-7 season and build on the momentum from the end of last season?
Misericordia Cougars
Misericordia is in it's sixth season as a program and are still building up their program under Mark Ross. Junior running back Clayton Vleck returns after he rushed for 214 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior quarterback Brandon Leap returns after throwing for 979 yards and eight touchdowns in six games last season. Junior Sam Gillison returns as the Cougars top receiver after catching 50 passes and going for 582 yards last season. Junior LB Noah Bard returns after he led the team in tackles last season. Sophomore safety Garrett Murray also returns after being second in tackles and had an interception in eight games last season. Sophomore safety Jared Henn led the team in interceptions with two. Appeared in seven games last season. After a 1-9, head coach Mark Ross hopes the experience they got last year will help improve his football team. Can their win at the end of last season help them propel to an improvement in 2017?
Bloomsburg Huskies
The Huskies are projected to finish fourth in the PSAC East. The question is can they exceed the expectations? The Huskies return six starters on offense. Redshirt sophomore Michael Allen returns after catching 29 passes and 464 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Bloomsburg returns five starters. Redshirt junior Chris Gary returns after recording 12.5 sacks last season. Cornerbacks Dexter Jordan and Marquis Seamon both return. They combined for seven interceptions last season. The question that the Huskies have is who will be the starting QB? Redshirt junior Duffy Gilhool started the final four games of last season and redshirt senior Chris Palubinsky won the starting job out of training camp last season.
Penn State Nittany Lions
After a Big Ten Title and a Rose Bowl appearance. The Nittany Lions goal is simple.. get into the College Football Playoff. After being ranked sixth in the AP Poll, Penn State is hoping to improve. They return several key cogs from last season. Junior Saquon Barkley returns after rushing for 1,634 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. He also had 28 catches for 402 yards in the passing game. QB Trace McSorley also returns after throw for 3,614 yards and 29 touchdowns. Despite losing Chris Godwin to the NFL, they will not be short of weapons with Tight End Mike Gesicki, who caught 48 passes and 679 yards and five touchdowns last season. DaeSean Hamilton also returns after catching 34 passes and 506 yards. On the offensive line, they return three starters in senior Brandon Mahon and sophomores Ryan Bates and Connor McGovern. On defense, they return six starters in defensive linemen Kevin Givens (26 tackles, 4.5 sacks), senior linebacker Jason Cabinda (81 tackles 1 sack), junior linebacker Manny Bowen (68 tackles, 2 sacks), senior safety Marcus Allen (110 tackles), and senior cornerbacks Grant Haley (39 tackles) and Christian Campbell (31 tackles, 1 INT). All in all, Penn State looks like they will have a great season but will they be able to surpass the likes of Ohio State and Michigan to get to the Big Ten Championship game and make the college football playoff?
That is going to do it for the college football preview, stay tuned later this week for the High School and College Football weekly previews. The NFL Preview should be out next Monday or Tuesday depending on how much I am able to get done.
King's College Monarchs
The Monarchs return several players on both sides of the ball. On offense, they return quarterback Zach Whitehead who threw for 2,832 yards and 19 touchdowns. Other returning starter is Tyler Marroni who caught 53 passes and had 749 yards. Several questions remaining on offense. The offensive line lost three starters and the running backs are inexperienced. On defense, the graduation of Bobby Russell deems large but they return several key players such as Bruce Damon and Hassan Maxwell at linebacker for King's. Jake Manetti returns as a starting safety for the Monarchs. He had 69 tackles and two interceptions. King's looks like they will have an explosive passing game, the question is will they be able to compete with the top teams in the MAC?
Wilkes Colonels
The Colonels look to improve from their 3-7 mark from last year. Two of those three victories were against Lycoming College and Stevenson. Sophomore quarterback Jose Tabora returns after starting late in the season. He threw for 1,098 yards and eight touchdowns. At receiver, Aaron Coyne returns. He had 21 catches for 250 yards. Zach Bogoly returns after recording 20 catches and 303 yards. All-American and All-MAC Tight End Garrett Armstrong returns after a 36 catch, 390 yard season last year. The offensive line returns three starters from last season. The strength of the defense looks to be their linebackers with returning starters in Lukas Wood, Michael Murphy and Bud Moyer. The secondary was the hardest hit by graduation as was the defensive line. The question with Wilkes is can they improve from their 3-7 season and build on the momentum from the end of last season?
Misericordia Cougars
Misericordia is in it's sixth season as a program and are still building up their program under Mark Ross. Junior running back Clayton Vleck returns after he rushed for 214 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior quarterback Brandon Leap returns after throwing for 979 yards and eight touchdowns in six games last season. Junior Sam Gillison returns as the Cougars top receiver after catching 50 passes and going for 582 yards last season. Junior LB Noah Bard returns after he led the team in tackles last season. Sophomore safety Garrett Murray also returns after being second in tackles and had an interception in eight games last season. Sophomore safety Jared Henn led the team in interceptions with two. Appeared in seven games last season. After a 1-9, head coach Mark Ross hopes the experience they got last year will help improve his football team. Can their win at the end of last season help them propel to an improvement in 2017?
Bloomsburg Huskies
The Huskies are projected to finish fourth in the PSAC East. The question is can they exceed the expectations? The Huskies return six starters on offense. Redshirt sophomore Michael Allen returns after catching 29 passes and 464 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Bloomsburg returns five starters. Redshirt junior Chris Gary returns after recording 12.5 sacks last season. Cornerbacks Dexter Jordan and Marquis Seamon both return. They combined for seven interceptions last season. The question that the Huskies have is who will be the starting QB? Redshirt junior Duffy Gilhool started the final four games of last season and redshirt senior Chris Palubinsky won the starting job out of training camp last season.
Penn State Nittany Lions
After a Big Ten Title and a Rose Bowl appearance. The Nittany Lions goal is simple.. get into the College Football Playoff. After being ranked sixth in the AP Poll, Penn State is hoping to improve. They return several key cogs from last season. Junior Saquon Barkley returns after rushing for 1,634 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. He also had 28 catches for 402 yards in the passing game. QB Trace McSorley also returns after throw for 3,614 yards and 29 touchdowns. Despite losing Chris Godwin to the NFL, they will not be short of weapons with Tight End Mike Gesicki, who caught 48 passes and 679 yards and five touchdowns last season. DaeSean Hamilton also returns after catching 34 passes and 506 yards. On the offensive line, they return three starters in senior Brandon Mahon and sophomores Ryan Bates and Connor McGovern. On defense, they return six starters in defensive linemen Kevin Givens (26 tackles, 4.5 sacks), senior linebacker Jason Cabinda (81 tackles 1 sack), junior linebacker Manny Bowen (68 tackles, 2 sacks), senior safety Marcus Allen (110 tackles), and senior cornerbacks Grant Haley (39 tackles) and Christian Campbell (31 tackles, 1 INT). All in all, Penn State looks like they will have a great season but will they be able to surpass the likes of Ohio State and Michigan to get to the Big Ten Championship game and make the college football playoff?
That is going to do it for the college football preview, stay tuned later this week for the High School and College Football weekly previews. The NFL Preview should be out next Monday or Tuesday depending on how much I am able to get done.
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Surprising Results
Well Week 0 (or Week 1 if you wanna be technical) is in the books and there were some results that not a lot of people expected. There were some expected outcomes and then they were some that just baffled people and wonder how that occured. With that being said, let's delve into the week that was Week 1 (or again Week 0).
HONESDALE SURPRISES GAR
Andy Carroll rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns as Honesdale won their first game of the season after going winless last season. Beau Freiermuth also rushed for 100+ yards in the win. Tashawn Qualls threw for 113 yards and one touchdown for GAR. This game came down as a big surprise to me. I couldn't have thought that it would have happened to Honesdale, not GAR.
LACKAWANNA TRAIL SNEAKS PAST MID VALLEY
Nathan Rolka had three rushing touchdowns and threw for 101 yards for the Lions. Joe Chylak rushed for 219 yards and two touchdowns in the loss for Mid Valley. I'm expecting both of these teams to be competitive all season. I think Single-A is going to be tough with three teams going for two spots in the District Finals.
VALLEY VIEW SURPRISES LAKELAND
The biggest surprise came in Lakeland as Valley View blew away Lakeland 63-14. Seth Vernon rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown. Traon Jones added two rushing touchdowns for the Cougars. Giovanni Spataro rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown.
OLD FORGE SHUTOUTS HANOVER AREA
The Blue Devils started off the season great by beating Hanover Area 44-0. Dante Lucarelli threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Kevin Pepsin added two rushing touchdowns for the Blue Devils. Sean Coleman had four catches for 61 yards for the Hawkeyes.
NORTH POCONO GETS PAST VIKINGS
The defending District 2 4A Champs started off their season by beating Riverside 42-19. JC Gaughan rushed for 112 yards and four touchdowns and Donny Blaine added 131 passing yards and a touchdown. Noah Zippitelli had 2 catches for 45 yards and a touchdown for Riverside.
KNIGHTS WIN HIGH SCORING AFFAIR
Scranton took down Valley West in a high-scoring fair 58-48. Rheyse Green had 252 yards and four touchdowns and Robbie McAndrew threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns. The Spartans couldn't overcome the Knights lead despite a 33 point fourth quarter. Sean Mikovitch ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns and Jake Shusta threw for 143 yards and a touchdown.
WESTERN WAYNE KNOCKS OFF CARBONDALE
Western Wayne started off the season with a 35-0 shutout of Carbondale. Kobe Sauter rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown and Matt Valanda threw for 166 yards and a touchdown. The Western Wayne offense reduced Carbondale's Jordan Tolerico to 34 passing yards.
DUNMORE STARTS OFF WITH WIN
The Dunmore Bucks started off with 28-18 victory over the West Scranton Invaders. Christian Buckley ran for 112 yards. Gavin Darcy threw a touchdown pass and rushed for two more in the victory. For the Invaders, Kevin Williams rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown in the loss.
WYOMING AREA SNEAKS OUT VICTORIOUS
The Warriors came out victorious as they snuck a 7-3 victory over Wallenpaupack. Darren Rodney rushed for the lone touchdown of the game. Zach Maldacker kicked a 42 yard field goal for the Buckhorns and Tom McCormick threw for 94 yards.
DELAWARE VALLEY TAKES WIN IN FLORIDA
The Warriors of Delaware Valley took down Fort Pierce Central in Florida 19-14. Dylan Kelly won Defensive MVP and Ryan Obiso won the offensive MVP. No stats were posted.
NORTH PENN KNOCKS OFF NORTHWEST
North Penn beat Northwest 14-10 in a well-fought game. Brent Burleigh threw for 125 yards and two touchdowns and Brendan Hill rushed for 74 yards. David Piestrak had the lone touchdown for the Rangers and Jake Anderson rushed for 100 yards.
CRESTWOOD TAKES ROAD VICTORY
The Comets took down Pittston Area 34-15 in a surprising victory. Chase Passman threw for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Pat Rother rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown and Nick Grosek added two rushing touchdowns.
NANTICOKE TAKES DOWN TUNKHANNOCK
The Trojans outrushed the Tigers in a 33-21 victory. Eric Jeffries rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns and Matt Wrubel threw a touchdown pass and ran two more in. Logan Cywinski rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns for the Tigers.
DALLAS BLOWS AWAY COUGHLIN
The Mountaineers blew away the Crusaders 54-7 on Friday night. Leonard Kelley rushed for 206 yards and four touchdowns. He also returned an interception for a touchdown in the victory. Sa'id Hollis caught a touchdown pass for the Crusaders.
BERWICK GETS PAST HAZLETON AREA
The Bulldogs got past a road upset by the Cougars 24-10. Alex Force threw for 90 yards and a touchdown to Damon Beckhorn. Evan Klinger rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown. Sparky Wolk threw for 161 yards. Damon Horton rushed for a touchdown.
THE BLACK KNIGHTS BEAT MEYERS
Lake-Lehman got past Meyers 30-23. Trey Borger rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns. Matt Kurtz rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown. Janssen Wilborn threw for 145 yards and rushed in for a touchdown for the Mohawks.
ROYALS SHUTOUT CRUSADERS
Holy Redeemer opened up their season with a 44-0 victory over Holy Cross. JD Turosky threw for 162 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 79 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Jason Kopf had 63 rushing yards for Holy Cross.
SUSQUEHANNA BEATS MONTROSE
The Sabers started off the season with a 32-18 victory over Montrose. Sam Cosmello scored three touchdowns and CJ Stone threw for 163 yards and a touchdown for Susquehanna. Maverick Tims threw for 68 yards and two touchdowns for the Meteors.
SCRANTON PREP BLOWS AWAY ABINGTON HEIGHTS
The Cavaliers got a blowout victory on the road 50-0 over Abington Heights. Matt Gilmartin ran for 140 yards and five touchdowns. Leo O'Boyle threw for 97 yards for Prep. George Tinsley threw for 25 yards for Abington Heights.
That will do it for this week's article, stay tuned for the college football preview article as well as the game previews for this week.
HONESDALE SURPRISES GAR
Andy Carroll rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns as Honesdale won their first game of the season after going winless last season. Beau Freiermuth also rushed for 100+ yards in the win. Tashawn Qualls threw for 113 yards and one touchdown for GAR. This game came down as a big surprise to me. I couldn't have thought that it would have happened to Honesdale, not GAR.
LACKAWANNA TRAIL SNEAKS PAST MID VALLEY
Nathan Rolka had three rushing touchdowns and threw for 101 yards for the Lions. Joe Chylak rushed for 219 yards and two touchdowns in the loss for Mid Valley. I'm expecting both of these teams to be competitive all season. I think Single-A is going to be tough with three teams going for two spots in the District Finals.
VALLEY VIEW SURPRISES LAKELAND
The biggest surprise came in Lakeland as Valley View blew away Lakeland 63-14. Seth Vernon rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown. Traon Jones added two rushing touchdowns for the Cougars. Giovanni Spataro rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown.
OLD FORGE SHUTOUTS HANOVER AREA
The Blue Devils started off the season great by beating Hanover Area 44-0. Dante Lucarelli threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Kevin Pepsin added two rushing touchdowns for the Blue Devils. Sean Coleman had four catches for 61 yards for the Hawkeyes.
NORTH POCONO GETS PAST VIKINGS
The defending District 2 4A Champs started off their season by beating Riverside 42-19. JC Gaughan rushed for 112 yards and four touchdowns and Donny Blaine added 131 passing yards and a touchdown. Noah Zippitelli had 2 catches for 45 yards and a touchdown for Riverside.
KNIGHTS WIN HIGH SCORING AFFAIR
Scranton took down Valley West in a high-scoring fair 58-48. Rheyse Green had 252 yards and four touchdowns and Robbie McAndrew threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns. The Spartans couldn't overcome the Knights lead despite a 33 point fourth quarter. Sean Mikovitch ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns and Jake Shusta threw for 143 yards and a touchdown.
WESTERN WAYNE KNOCKS OFF CARBONDALE
Western Wayne started off the season with a 35-0 shutout of Carbondale. Kobe Sauter rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown and Matt Valanda threw for 166 yards and a touchdown. The Western Wayne offense reduced Carbondale's Jordan Tolerico to 34 passing yards.
DUNMORE STARTS OFF WITH WIN
The Dunmore Bucks started off with 28-18 victory over the West Scranton Invaders. Christian Buckley ran for 112 yards. Gavin Darcy threw a touchdown pass and rushed for two more in the victory. For the Invaders, Kevin Williams rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown in the loss.
WYOMING AREA SNEAKS OUT VICTORIOUS
The Warriors came out victorious as they snuck a 7-3 victory over Wallenpaupack. Darren Rodney rushed for the lone touchdown of the game. Zach Maldacker kicked a 42 yard field goal for the Buckhorns and Tom McCormick threw for 94 yards.
DELAWARE VALLEY TAKES WIN IN FLORIDA
The Warriors of Delaware Valley took down Fort Pierce Central in Florida 19-14. Dylan Kelly won Defensive MVP and Ryan Obiso won the offensive MVP. No stats were posted.
NORTH PENN KNOCKS OFF NORTHWEST
North Penn beat Northwest 14-10 in a well-fought game. Brent Burleigh threw for 125 yards and two touchdowns and Brendan Hill rushed for 74 yards. David Piestrak had the lone touchdown for the Rangers and Jake Anderson rushed for 100 yards.
CRESTWOOD TAKES ROAD VICTORY
The Comets took down Pittston Area 34-15 in a surprising victory. Chase Passman threw for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Pat Rother rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown and Nick Grosek added two rushing touchdowns.
NANTICOKE TAKES DOWN TUNKHANNOCK
The Trojans outrushed the Tigers in a 33-21 victory. Eric Jeffries rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns and Matt Wrubel threw a touchdown pass and ran two more in. Logan Cywinski rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns for the Tigers.
DALLAS BLOWS AWAY COUGHLIN
The Mountaineers blew away the Crusaders 54-7 on Friday night. Leonard Kelley rushed for 206 yards and four touchdowns. He also returned an interception for a touchdown in the victory. Sa'id Hollis caught a touchdown pass for the Crusaders.
BERWICK GETS PAST HAZLETON AREA
The Bulldogs got past a road upset by the Cougars 24-10. Alex Force threw for 90 yards and a touchdown to Damon Beckhorn. Evan Klinger rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown. Sparky Wolk threw for 161 yards. Damon Horton rushed for a touchdown.
THE BLACK KNIGHTS BEAT MEYERS
Lake-Lehman got past Meyers 30-23. Trey Borger rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns. Matt Kurtz rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown. Janssen Wilborn threw for 145 yards and rushed in for a touchdown for the Mohawks.
ROYALS SHUTOUT CRUSADERS
Holy Redeemer opened up their season with a 44-0 victory over Holy Cross. JD Turosky threw for 162 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 79 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Jason Kopf had 63 rushing yards for Holy Cross.
SUSQUEHANNA BEATS MONTROSE
The Sabers started off the season with a 32-18 victory over Montrose. Sam Cosmello scored three touchdowns and CJ Stone threw for 163 yards and a touchdown for Susquehanna. Maverick Tims threw for 68 yards and two touchdowns for the Meteors.
SCRANTON PREP BLOWS AWAY ABINGTON HEIGHTS
The Cavaliers got a blowout victory on the road 50-0 over Abington Heights. Matt Gilmartin ran for 140 yards and five touchdowns. Leo O'Boyle threw for 97 yards for Prep. George Tinsley threw for 25 yards for Abington Heights.
That will do it for this week's article, stay tuned for the college football preview article as well as the game previews for this week.
Friday, August 25, 2017
Ground Show
Thoughts on the game: Great game by the Trojans overall, Eric Jeffries had a great game on the ground. He had two touchdowns and had another called back by penalty. I was also impressed by Trojans junior Joe Ammons who had two sacks and caught a touchdown pass in the third quarter. For the Tigers, I was impressed by Logan Cywinski, he had three touchdowns and was the big reason the Tigers were in the game. He was giving the Trojans defense fits all night.
Passing
Nanticoke
Matt Wrubel 4/6 87 yards 1 TD 1 INT
Tunkhannock
Zach Rogers 6/13 58 yards 0 TD 0 INTs
Rushing
Nanticoke
Dawson Hughes 17 carries 70 yards
Eric Jeffries 29 carries 206 yards 2 TDs
Matt Wrubel 4 carries 6 yards 2 TDs
Tunkhannock
Logan Cywinski 25 carries 198 yards 3 TDs
Garrett Hopkins 5 carries 22 yards
Zach Rogers 2 carries -1 yards
Receiving
Nanticoke
Darrell Boseman 1 catch 43 yards
Joe Ammons 2 catches 47 yards TD
Eric Jeffries 1 catch -3 yards
Tunkhannock
Jake Stephens 2 catches 18 yards
Evan Turner 1 catch 10 yards
Logan Cywinski 1 catch 6 yards
Garrett Hopkins 2 catches 30 yards
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Opening Night
On Friday night, almost seven to eight months of hard work will be finally come to fruition with the first game of the season. Some are looking for District Gold, some are looking to get into the playoffs and some are just trying to be competitive. With that being said, here are all of the games being played in District 2 this week.
Fort Pierce Central (FL) vs Delaware Valley
Time: 6 PM
Place: Disney World
Delware Valley comes in as the favorite to take their division and compete with Williamsport for the Subregional Championship. Ryan Obiso returns as the focal point of the offense as he rushed for 1,299 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. The Warriors will have an interesting game on their hands as they travel to Florida.
Prediction: Fort Pierce Central (FL)
Berwick at Hazleton Area
Time: 7 PM
Hazleton Area comes in returning their starting QB in Sparky Wolk and their leading rusher in Adrian Otero. Berwick doesn't return much, Jared Marshman is out for at best half the season. Sr running back Evan Klinger looks to step up and lead the offense in the running game. Last time these two teams played each other, Berwick won 44-0.
Prediction: Hazleton Area
Carbondale at Western Wayne
Time: 7 PM
Carbondale comes in with high hopes from their starting QB in Jordan Tolerico who threw for 738 yards and five TDs. TE Noah Yates had 14 catches, 186 yards and 2 TDs. Western Wayne needed to replace QB Scott Walck. To lessen the load on his replacement, junior Kobe Sauter returns after rushing for 568 yards and six touchdowns.
Prediction: Western Wayne
Coughlin at Dallas
Time: 7 PM
The Coughlin Crusaders come in with high expectations. The tandem of Vincent Todd and Jacob Cole. Todd will be the quarterback and Cole will be the running back. Todd threw for 172 yards last season but on the ground, he rushed for 1,063 yards. Cole had as good a year as Todd, which he rushed for 1,227 yards. Dallas brings back sophomore quarterback Michael Starbuck, who threw for 546 yards last season after taking over late in the season.
Prediction: Coughlin
Crestwood at Pittston Area
Time: 7 PM
Crestwood lost quite a bit of production from last season in Lance Blass, but Pat Rother looks to fill the shoes. Last season, the junior rushed for 679 yards. Chase Passman takes over at QB full time after filling in during the middle of the season. Pittston Area returns quite a bit of skill position players. Walter Coles returns at QB for his senior season. Last season, he threw for 1,460 yards. He'll have plenty of weapons in running back Keemar Woodruff and wide receivers Kevin Krawczyk and Rich Wallace.
Prediction: Pittston Area
West Scranton at Dunmore
Time: 7 PM
West Scranton returns their QB in junior Nick Giola, he threw for 1,325 yards and 14 TDs. After a playoff appearance, the Invaders look to get back into the postseason. After winning a District Championship, Dunmore is looking to repeat but have to replace several players in the lineup. They do return QB Gavin Darcy who threw for 795 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Prediction: West Scranton
GAR at Honesdale
Time: 7 PM
GAR returns Gerson Peralta who missed half the season with an injury. Malachai Williams lead the team in receptions last year as a freshman. Honesdale is looking to improve after last season as they didn't win a game last season. Dyllon Fillebrown had 12 catches for 156 yards and one touchdown last season.
Prediction: GAR
Hanover Area at Old Forge
Time: 7 PM
The Hawkeyes have quite a bit of questions going into their opening night game. Their line is probably their most experienced on their team. Old Forge returns their leading rusher in Brendan Mozeleski. The senior rushed for 1,048 yards and 16 touchdowns. Sophomore QB Alex Anastasi finished last season with 419 yards and three touchdowns.
Prediction: Old Forge
Mid Valley at Lackawanna Trail
Time: 7 PM
Mid Valley qualified for the playoffs last season and are looking to get back there this year. However, they graduated several players from last season. Junior RB Joe Chylak rushed for 614 yards and nine touchdowns. Lackawanna Trail won the District 2 Single-A Championship game last year and are looking to repeat this season. Junior QB Nathan Rolka returns for the Lions. He threw for 1,188 yards and nine touchdowns. However, he lost several key cogs to his offense and several players will need to replace the production.
Prediction: Lackawanna Trail
Valley View at Lakeland
Time: 7 PM
Valley View qualified for the District 2 4A Playoffs last year and fell to eventual champion North Pocono. They are looking to get back to the postseason. What could propel them could be the play of Senior QB Chandler Fuller. He threw for 972 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed for 481 yards and seven touchdowns. Lakeland is usually a traditional power in the Lackawanna League and this year, they look to win the District title after coming up short against Dunmore last year. Cyril Babcanec led the team last year in rushing with 968 yards and seven touchdowns.
Prediction: Lakeland
North Pocono at Riverside
Time: 7 PM
North Pocono is coming off a District 2 4A Championship and are looking to repeat as Champions. Junior QB Donny Blaine leads the offense. Last season, he threw for 1,158 yards and nine touchdowns. Riverside made the District 2 2A Playoffs and are looking to get back to the playoffs but will need to replace several key players from last season.
Prediction: North Pocono
Northwest at North Penn Mansfield
Time: 7 PM
After falling in the District 2 Class A Championship game, Northwest is looking to get to get back. Northwest senior RB Jake Anderson leads their offense. He rushed for 1,533 yards and 15 touchdowns. Last season, the Rangers fell to NPM 41-6.
Prediction: Northwest
Valley West at Scranton
Time: 7 PM
Valley West will need to replace key players but the Spartans hope to repeat the success they have had the last few years. Rob Dwyer will be the starter at quarterback, replacing Aaron Austin. OT Chris Bleich committed to UCLA for next season. Scranton RB Rheyse Green rushed for 743 yards and nine touchdowns. The Knights are also replacing their starting quarterback.
Prediction: Scranton
Tunkhannock at Nanticoke
Time: 7 PM
Tunkhannock and Nanticoke are teams that look like they might make major steps in 2017. Tigers Junior QB Zach Rogers threw for 822 yards and RB Logan Cywinski rushed for 1,091 yards. Nanticoke made the District 2 3A Playoffs last season. The RB tandem of Dawson Hughes and Eric Jeffries returns. Hughes rushed for 1,181 yards and Jeffries went for 906 yards.
Prediction: Nanticoke
Wyoming Area at Wallenpaupack
Time: 7 PM
Wyoming Area's offense returns senior QB PJ Angeli who threw for 741 yards and WR Marc Minichello who had 499 receiving yards. They hope to return to the District 2 Playoffs and hope to get to the District Finals after coming up short. Wallenpaupack RB Joe Ingulli rushed for 777 yards and six touchdowns. They lost to Abington Heights in the First Round of the District 2 5A Playoffs. Tom McCormick also returns for the Buckhorns. He threw for 487 yards and three touchdowns.
Prediction: Wallenpaupack
Meyers at Lake-Lehman
Time: 7 PM
Meyers senior QB Janssen Wilborn is looking to have a fantasic season. He passed for 349 yards and four touchdowns. He rushed for 1,025 yards and 11 touchdowns. Reese Patronick rushed for 405 yards last season with three touchdowns. Lake-Lehman brings back Trey Borger who was injured for most of last season. Zack Kojandinovich rushed for 549 yards last season.
Prediction: Lake-Lehman
Holy Cross at Holy Redeemer
Time: Sat 2 PM
Holy Cross needs to replace a ton of talent from last season. Jake Wiercinski caught six passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns last season. Royals Sr QB JD Turosky threw for 953 yards and seven touchdowns. Jonathan Winter caught 27 passes for 530 yards and four touchdowns. The Royals look to take another victory over their cross-county rival.
Prediction: Holy Redeemer
Montrose at Susquehanna
Time: Sat 2 PM
Montrose senior QB Maverick Tims threw for 305 yards. He rushed for 560 yards and five touchdowns last season. The Meteors are looking to improve from last season. The Sabers have to replace several players from last season. Sam Cosmello caught 12 passes for 137 yards. He also rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown.
Prediction: Susquehanna
Scranton Prep at Abington Heights
Time: Sat 2:30 PM
Possibly one of the biggest matchups of the week. The Cavaliers come in as back-to-back District Champions and are looking for the three-peat. Scranton Prep's Matt Gilmartin returns after a season in which he rushed for 914 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught seven passes for 97 yards and one touchdown. Abington Heights took the first ever District 2 Class 5A Championship. Kaleb Sherman returns for the Comets. He rushed for 536 yards and five touchdowns.
Prediction: Scranton Prep
Fort Pierce Central (FL) vs Delaware Valley
Time: 6 PM
Place: Disney World
Delware Valley comes in as the favorite to take their division and compete with Williamsport for the Subregional Championship. Ryan Obiso returns as the focal point of the offense as he rushed for 1,299 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. The Warriors will have an interesting game on their hands as they travel to Florida.
Prediction: Fort Pierce Central (FL)
Berwick at Hazleton Area
Time: 7 PM
Hazleton Area comes in returning their starting QB in Sparky Wolk and their leading rusher in Adrian Otero. Berwick doesn't return much, Jared Marshman is out for at best half the season. Sr running back Evan Klinger looks to step up and lead the offense in the running game. Last time these two teams played each other, Berwick won 44-0.
Prediction: Hazleton Area
Carbondale at Western Wayne
Time: 7 PM
Carbondale comes in with high hopes from their starting QB in Jordan Tolerico who threw for 738 yards and five TDs. TE Noah Yates had 14 catches, 186 yards and 2 TDs. Western Wayne needed to replace QB Scott Walck. To lessen the load on his replacement, junior Kobe Sauter returns after rushing for 568 yards and six touchdowns.
Prediction: Western Wayne
Coughlin at Dallas
Time: 7 PM
The Coughlin Crusaders come in with high expectations. The tandem of Vincent Todd and Jacob Cole. Todd will be the quarterback and Cole will be the running back. Todd threw for 172 yards last season but on the ground, he rushed for 1,063 yards. Cole had as good a year as Todd, which he rushed for 1,227 yards. Dallas brings back sophomore quarterback Michael Starbuck, who threw for 546 yards last season after taking over late in the season.
Prediction: Coughlin
Crestwood at Pittston Area
Time: 7 PM
Crestwood lost quite a bit of production from last season in Lance Blass, but Pat Rother looks to fill the shoes. Last season, the junior rushed for 679 yards. Chase Passman takes over at QB full time after filling in during the middle of the season. Pittston Area returns quite a bit of skill position players. Walter Coles returns at QB for his senior season. Last season, he threw for 1,460 yards. He'll have plenty of weapons in running back Keemar Woodruff and wide receivers Kevin Krawczyk and Rich Wallace.
Prediction: Pittston Area
West Scranton at Dunmore
Time: 7 PM
West Scranton returns their QB in junior Nick Giola, he threw for 1,325 yards and 14 TDs. After a playoff appearance, the Invaders look to get back into the postseason. After winning a District Championship, Dunmore is looking to repeat but have to replace several players in the lineup. They do return QB Gavin Darcy who threw for 795 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Prediction: West Scranton
GAR at Honesdale
Time: 7 PM
GAR returns Gerson Peralta who missed half the season with an injury. Malachai Williams lead the team in receptions last year as a freshman. Honesdale is looking to improve after last season as they didn't win a game last season. Dyllon Fillebrown had 12 catches for 156 yards and one touchdown last season.
Prediction: GAR
Hanover Area at Old Forge
Time: 7 PM
The Hawkeyes have quite a bit of questions going into their opening night game. Their line is probably their most experienced on their team. Old Forge returns their leading rusher in Brendan Mozeleski. The senior rushed for 1,048 yards and 16 touchdowns. Sophomore QB Alex Anastasi finished last season with 419 yards and three touchdowns.
Prediction: Old Forge
Mid Valley at Lackawanna Trail
Time: 7 PM
Mid Valley qualified for the playoffs last season and are looking to get back there this year. However, they graduated several players from last season. Junior RB Joe Chylak rushed for 614 yards and nine touchdowns. Lackawanna Trail won the District 2 Single-A Championship game last year and are looking to repeat this season. Junior QB Nathan Rolka returns for the Lions. He threw for 1,188 yards and nine touchdowns. However, he lost several key cogs to his offense and several players will need to replace the production.
Prediction: Lackawanna Trail
Valley View at Lakeland
Time: 7 PM
Valley View qualified for the District 2 4A Playoffs last year and fell to eventual champion North Pocono. They are looking to get back to the postseason. What could propel them could be the play of Senior QB Chandler Fuller. He threw for 972 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed for 481 yards and seven touchdowns. Lakeland is usually a traditional power in the Lackawanna League and this year, they look to win the District title after coming up short against Dunmore last year. Cyril Babcanec led the team last year in rushing with 968 yards and seven touchdowns.
Prediction: Lakeland
North Pocono at Riverside
Time: 7 PM
North Pocono is coming off a District 2 4A Championship and are looking to repeat as Champions. Junior QB Donny Blaine leads the offense. Last season, he threw for 1,158 yards and nine touchdowns. Riverside made the District 2 2A Playoffs and are looking to get back to the playoffs but will need to replace several key players from last season.
Prediction: North Pocono
Northwest at North Penn Mansfield
Time: 7 PM
After falling in the District 2 Class A Championship game, Northwest is looking to get to get back. Northwest senior RB Jake Anderson leads their offense. He rushed for 1,533 yards and 15 touchdowns. Last season, the Rangers fell to NPM 41-6.
Prediction: Northwest
Valley West at Scranton
Time: 7 PM
Valley West will need to replace key players but the Spartans hope to repeat the success they have had the last few years. Rob Dwyer will be the starter at quarterback, replacing Aaron Austin. OT Chris Bleich committed to UCLA for next season. Scranton RB Rheyse Green rushed for 743 yards and nine touchdowns. The Knights are also replacing their starting quarterback.
Prediction: Scranton
Tunkhannock at Nanticoke
Time: 7 PM
Tunkhannock and Nanticoke are teams that look like they might make major steps in 2017. Tigers Junior QB Zach Rogers threw for 822 yards and RB Logan Cywinski rushed for 1,091 yards. Nanticoke made the District 2 3A Playoffs last season. The RB tandem of Dawson Hughes and Eric Jeffries returns. Hughes rushed for 1,181 yards and Jeffries went for 906 yards.
Prediction: Nanticoke
Wyoming Area at Wallenpaupack
Time: 7 PM
Wyoming Area's offense returns senior QB PJ Angeli who threw for 741 yards and WR Marc Minichello who had 499 receiving yards. They hope to return to the District 2 Playoffs and hope to get to the District Finals after coming up short. Wallenpaupack RB Joe Ingulli rushed for 777 yards and six touchdowns. They lost to Abington Heights in the First Round of the District 2 5A Playoffs. Tom McCormick also returns for the Buckhorns. He threw for 487 yards and three touchdowns.
Prediction: Wallenpaupack
Meyers at Lake-Lehman
Time: 7 PM
Meyers senior QB Janssen Wilborn is looking to have a fantasic season. He passed for 349 yards and four touchdowns. He rushed for 1,025 yards and 11 touchdowns. Reese Patronick rushed for 405 yards last season with three touchdowns. Lake-Lehman brings back Trey Borger who was injured for most of last season. Zack Kojandinovich rushed for 549 yards last season.
Prediction: Lake-Lehman
Holy Cross at Holy Redeemer
Time: Sat 2 PM
Holy Cross needs to replace a ton of talent from last season. Jake Wiercinski caught six passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns last season. Royals Sr QB JD Turosky threw for 953 yards and seven touchdowns. Jonathan Winter caught 27 passes for 530 yards and four touchdowns. The Royals look to take another victory over their cross-county rival.
Prediction: Holy Redeemer
Montrose at Susquehanna
Time: Sat 2 PM
Montrose senior QB Maverick Tims threw for 305 yards. He rushed for 560 yards and five touchdowns last season. The Meteors are looking to improve from last season. The Sabers have to replace several players from last season. Sam Cosmello caught 12 passes for 137 yards. He also rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown.
Prediction: Susquehanna
Scranton Prep at Abington Heights
Time: Sat 2:30 PM
Possibly one of the biggest matchups of the week. The Cavaliers come in as back-to-back District Champions and are looking for the three-peat. Scranton Prep's Matt Gilmartin returns after a season in which he rushed for 914 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught seven passes for 97 yards and one touchdown. Abington Heights took the first ever District 2 Class 5A Championship. Kaleb Sherman returns for the Comets. He rushed for 536 yards and five touchdowns.
Prediction: Scranton Prep
Sunday, August 20, 2017
The Beginning
The 2017-2018 season started almost a week ago with official practice for the fall season. As it's usually the back end of the two year cycle, not much usually changes. Everyone is hoping for a great season. I've had my football Top 25 countdown out since the beginning of the season, so with that, the rest of this post will just recap the Football Top 25 and I'll explain how I did the preseason rankings afterward.
25 Scranton
24 Wallenpaupack
23 GAR
22 West Scranton
21 Mid Valley
20 Western Wayne
19 Lake-Lehman
18 Hazleton Area
17 Riverside
16 Lackawanna Trail
15 Abington Heights
14 Valley West
13 Meyers
12 Nanticoke
11 Old Forge
10 Berwick
9 Valley View
8 Coughlin
7 Northwest
6 Dunmore
5 Wyoming Area
4 North Pocono
3 Scranton Prep
2 Delaware Valley
1 Lakeland
Now here's how I did the preseason rankings, I did it through a rating system. How I did the system was you got five points for returning your leading rusher, passer, receiver, second leading rusher and the leader in INTs. Then you got five points for every win in the regular season so the most points a team could get is 75 points. Going onward with this, the point system will be like this, you will get five points for every win then points by how much you win. Example, if you win by 14, you get 1.4 points added to your total. You will also receive a extra points if you beat opponent higher than you, 1 for one class higher, 2 for two classes higher, 3 for three classes higher, and so on and so on. So yes, beating a better opponent will benefit you in the rankings.
Now, for the other bit of news, the local college football preview (Penn State, King's Wilkes, and Misericordia) should come out by next week. The NFL Preview should be out after Labor Day Weekend. I will also take questions for fantasy football whenever I can, so don't be afraid to ask questions.
That will do it for the rest of this weekly article, stay tuned for some other stuff throughout the week.
25 Scranton
24 Wallenpaupack
23 GAR
22 West Scranton
21 Mid Valley
20 Western Wayne
19 Lake-Lehman
18 Hazleton Area
17 Riverside
16 Lackawanna Trail
15 Abington Heights
14 Valley West
13 Meyers
12 Nanticoke
11 Old Forge
10 Berwick
9 Valley View
8 Coughlin
7 Northwest
6 Dunmore
5 Wyoming Area
4 North Pocono
3 Scranton Prep
2 Delaware Valley
1 Lakeland
Now here's how I did the preseason rankings, I did it through a rating system. How I did the system was you got five points for returning your leading rusher, passer, receiver, second leading rusher and the leader in INTs. Then you got five points for every win in the regular season so the most points a team could get is 75 points. Going onward with this, the point system will be like this, you will get five points for every win then points by how much you win. Example, if you win by 14, you get 1.4 points added to your total. You will also receive a extra points if you beat opponent higher than you, 1 for one class higher, 2 for two classes higher, 3 for three classes higher, and so on and so on. So yes, beating a better opponent will benefit you in the rankings.
Now, for the other bit of news, the local college football preview (Penn State, King's Wilkes, and Misericordia) should come out by next week. The NFL Preview should be out after Labor Day Weekend. I will also take questions for fantasy football whenever I can, so don't be afraid to ask questions.
That will do it for the rest of this weekly article, stay tuned for some other stuff throughout the week.
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