AJ Sports

By Tom Robinson
Go Lackawanna sports correspondent

OLD FORGE -- Riverside drove 92 yards in 15 plays against an unbeaten team in the first half of Friday night's District 2 Class A semifinal football playoff game.

As if to prove that was no fluke, the Vikings did it again.

When Riverside went 94 yards in 10 plays during the third quarter, it took complete control of a game it won, 30-14, to keep alive hopes of defending as district champion despite going just 3-7 in the regular season.

The Vikings led, 14-6, at halftime, but the game was fairly evenly played to that point.

Old Forge was at the Riverside 27 five minutes into the second half before the interception that led to the second long scoring drive.

Riverside eventually stretched its lead to 30-6 before Old Forge scored with 1:58 remaining.

The 15-minute stretch from the beginning of the second 90-plus-yard scoring drive featured the Vikings destroying the Blue Devils up front to blow the game open and gain a measure of revenge for a 43-12 loss on Opening Night.

"We contained their backs with our defensive line and linebackers and we kept their running game to a minimum," said Corey Talerico, who ran for three touchdowns and passed for another. "And, our offensive line did an amazing job driving them off the ball."

Riverside outrushed Old Forge, 181-minus 13 in that 15-minute stretch, 197-minus 17 in the second half and 306-104 for the game.

"You have to give a lot of credit to their line play," Old Forge coach Mike Schuback said. "That was the difference.

"You could clearly see that their line did a lot better job than ours on both sides of the ball."

There were many numbers to prove that point.

Talerico carried 16 times for 160 yards and three touchdowns while Paul Lassiter carried 22 times for 158 yards and added three successful two-point conversion runs.

Riverside had a 23:42-12:18 time of possession advantage over the final three quarters.

The Vikings threw Old Forge for eight losses totaling 46 yards, all in the last three quarters.

Riverside converted five straight third-down situations in the second half.

Old Forge had been stopped on its previous four third- and fourth-down situations before Malkolm Blackshear hit David Argust with a 56-yard touchdown pass with 1:58 remaining.

Riverside also had a key fourth-down conversion in the first half. Tommy Armillay, who had a fumble recovery and an interception both lead to scores, was on the ground in the end zone when he pulled in a fourth-down Talerico pass that had been tipped at least twice.

UPDATED: 10:46 p.m.

Parkland pounded Wallenpaupack, 49-6, Friday night in a District 2-4-11 Class AAAA Subregional football playoff game.

All three Lackawanna Football Conference representatives were bounced out of the Eastern Conference playoffs Friday night.

Delaware Valley dropped a 19-14 decision to Emmaus in Class AAAA.

Northwestern Lehigh beat Scranton Prep, 16-7, in Class AAA and Hanover Area handled Carbondale, 28-14, in Class AA.

In another game, Whitehall defeated Wyoming Valley West, 42-23, in the Eastern Conference Class AAAA semifinals.

UPDATED: 10:42 p.m.

Northwestern Lehigh eliminated Scranton Prep from the Eastern Conference Class AAA playoffs with a 19-14 victory Friday night.

John Mariotti's 60-yard touchdown run in the second quarter accounted for Scranton Prep's only touchdown.

In a District 2-4-11 Class AAAA Subregional, Hazleton Area defeated Williamsport, 19-14.

UPDATED: 9:44 p.m.

Riverside and Hanover Area avenged lopsided losses with playoff victories Friday night.

Corey Talerico carried 16 times for 160 yards and three touchdowns, caught four passes for 29 yards and threw a touchdown pass as Riverside knocked off unbeaten Old Forge, 30-14, in the District 2 Class A playoffs.

Old Forge beat Riverside, 43-12, on Opening Night.

Hanover Area topped Carbondale, 28-14, in the Eastern Conference Class AA playoffs.

Carbondale won the first meeting, 35-0.

In other games:

Hazleton Area led Williamsport, 13-7, in the fourth quarter of their District 2-4-11 Class AAAA Subregional quarterfinal.

Whitehall led Wyoming Valley West, 29-23, in the fourth quarter of their Eastern Conference Class AAAA semifinal.

Northwestern Lehigh led Scranton Prep, 16-7, late in their Eastern Conference Class AAA semifinal.

UPDATED: 9:27 p.m.

OLD FORGE -- Corey Talerico ran for three touchdowns and passed for one Friday night as Riverside upset Old Forge, 30-14, in the District 2 Class A semifinals.

UPDATED: 9:22 p.m.

Lakeland will meet Dunmore in next week's District 2 Class A championship game after holding on for a 26-21 victory over GAR.

The Chiefs recovered a fumble late to preserve the win.

At Old Forge, Riverside is down to kneeling on the ball in the final two minutes with a 30-14 lead as it tries to finish off its upset of the unbeaten Blue Devils in Class A.

UPDATED: 9:05 p.m.

Dunmore remained unbeaten and advanced to the District 2 Class AA championship game Friday night with a 34-6 victory over Mid Valley.

In other games:

Northwestern Lehigh leads Scranton Prep, 16-7, late in the fourth quarter.

Riverside still leads, 22-6, and is inside the Old Forge 10 with less than five minutes to play.

UPDATED: 8:51 p.m.

Dunmore scored three touchdowns in the first 9:10 of the second half and added another early in the fourth quarter to build its lead on Mid Valley to 34-0.

The Bucks led just, 6-0, at halftime of the District 2 Class AA semifinal.

Strong play from the special teams and defense meant Dunmore needed to move just 25, 29 and 34 yards for the three third-quarter scores.

Michael Perry appeared to be done for the night late in the third quarter. He had 28 carries for 164 yards and three touchdowns.

While one unbeaten rolled, the other struggled.

Riverside moved more than 90 yards for a touchdown for the second time in the game to add to its lead over Old Forge in District 2 Class A.

The Vikings took a 22-6 lead into the fourth quarter.

Corey Talerico, who missed the opening day loss to Old Forge, has run for two touchdowns and passed for another. He went 31 yards for a touchdown with 1:46 left in the third and Paul Lassister added the two-point run.

In a District 2 Class AA game, Lakeland leads GAR, 26-14, after three quarters.

UPDATED: 8:06 p.m.

OLD FORGE -- Tommy Armillay caught a tipped fourth-down pass for a 2-yard touchdown from Corey Talerico with 3:48 left in the half to boost Riverside's lead over Old Forge to 14-6 in a District 2 Class A semifinal.

Corey Talerico's third-down tackle for a loss on a screen pass and Jonathan Gorleski's sack on fourth down stopped Old Forge in the last minute of the half.

Riverside took the 14-6 lead into the half.

In other games:

Dunmore leads Mid Valley, 6-0, at halftime in District 2 Class AA.

Ryan Kiehart ran for two second-quarter touchdowns to help Lakeland take a 20-14 halftime lead on GAR in the other District 2 Class AA semifinal.

Parkland has opened a 28-0, second-quarter lead on Wallenpaupack in the District 2-4-11 Class AAAA Subregional.

Williamsport and Hazleton Area are tied, 7-7, in the second quarter of another Class AAAA game.

John Mariotti's 60-yard run midway through the second quarter gave Scranton Prep a 7-3 halftime lead on Northwestern Lehigh in an Eastern Conference Class AAA game.

Northwestern Lehigh led 3-0 after one quarter.

Whitehall led Wyoming Valley West, 8-6, after one quarter in an Eastern Conference Class AAAA game.

UPDATED: 7:34 p.m.

OLD FORGE -- Old Forge responded to Riverside's early touchdown by driving 77 yards on eight plays to close within, 8-6, at the end of the first quarter.

Morris carried five times for 54 yards in the drive, including a 23-yard draw for a touchdown with 4:17 left in the quarter.

The quarter ended with Old Forge at the Riverside 37, but the Blue Devils were forced to punt from there.

In Class AA, Dunmore and Mid Valley were scoreless after one quarter while GAR had a 7-0 lead on Lakeland.

Dunmore then took a 6-0 lead on a Michael Perry touchdown run midway through the second quarter.

UPDATED: 7:16 p.m.

OLD FORGE -- The Lackawanna Football Conference's two unbeaten teams in the regular season ran into early trouble Friday night as top seeds as the District 2 playoffs.

Both Old Forge and Dunmore turned the ball over on their first possessions.

In Class A, the turnover led to Riverside jumping out to an 8-0 lead with 8:29 left in the first quarter.

Dunmore held Mid Valley to remain scoreless with less than four minutes remaining in the first quarter of their Class AA game.

Tommy Armillay recovered a fumble on Old Forge's fourth play and Riverside went 54 yards on five straight runs.

Corey Talerico ran 13 yards for the touchdown and Paul Lassiter ran for the two points.

Mid Valley's Frank Feola intercepted David Olivetti on Dunmore's ninth play.

Feola then ran 12 yards for a first down on the first offensive play, but the Spartans eventually had to punt.

UPDATED: 6:55 p.m.

OLD FORGE -- Defending champion Riverside and unbeaten top-seed Old Forge are minutes away from kickoff in their District 2 Class A football semifinal.

Old Forge beat Riverside, 43-12, on Opening Night. The Vikings played that game without Corey Talerico, who was serving a one-game suspension for being ejected in last year's state semifinal game.

UPDATED: 2:33 p.m.

While Frank Pazzaglia recuperates in an Ohio hospital, long-time friend and assistant coach Tom Krempasky will lead Mid Valley tonight when the Spartans take on Dunmore in a District 2 Class AA football playoff game.

Pazzaglia underwent heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Thursday. Prior to leaving the area, he turned over the reigns of the team to Krempasky, who has been with him for 332 career wins.

Rob Pazzaglia, Frank's son, is an assistant coach for the Spartans. Mid Valley athletic director Rick Cesari said this afternoon that Rob Pazzaglia is expected to be on the sideline tonight before leaving to be with his father.

Frank Pazzaglia, who started at Valley View in 1969 before coming to Mid Valley in 2007, has more wins coaching high school football than anyone in Lackawanna County history.

Dunmore coach Jack Henzes has 338 career wins, but that includes four years at Wyoming Area to start his career.

Frank Pazzaglia and Henzes coached on the same staff under Henzes' father John at Blakely High School in the 1960s.

For more details on the first round of the high school football playoffs, featuring detailed reports on the Mid Valley-Dunmore and Riverside-Old Forge games, return to www.scrantonedition.com/sports throughout the weekend.