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First Posted: 10/28/2012
Even with their top two ball carriers, Justin Wilk and Marc Romanczuk, on the bench for undisclosed reasons, the Patriots offense was in gear on the opening possession of Friday night’s 40-7 loss to Wyoming Valley West in Kingston.
Staring at their own 20 after a touchback on the opening kick off the Patriots went 80 yards on eight plays to take a 7-0 lead after the extra point by R.J. Haas 7:57 of the first quarter.
Quarterback James Emmett completed passes of 3, 12 and 47 yards to Joe Starinsky, the last of them for the Td on a perfect spiral that hit Starinsky in stride at the 15.
Hassan Maxwell, getting the start at tailback, picked up six yards on a first down run in the drive.
Kyle Gattuso, running from quarterback, also had a 6-yard run.
Wideout Jordan Houseman lined up in the backfield on a play and had a 6-yard carry.
Valley West answered with a 56-yard drive the Td coming on a 37-yard pass from quarterback Mike Baur to Josh Ortiz.
The point after was missed and it was 7-6 PA with 5:35 left in the first.
On the kick off PA’s Kyle Gattuso broke off a 60-yard return, showing some nifty cuts, to the Valley West 32.
A run by Maxwell and an Emmett-to-Houseman completion gave PA a first down and the Valley West 24, but a hold and a sack put PA in a 3rd-and-38 back at their own 47.
They picked up 15 on a middle screen to Maxwell, but had to punt.
Starting on their own 15, Valley West moved to the PA 43, but tackles by linebacker Sam Falcone, whose defensive work was lost in the final score, set up an exchange of punts that jumped started a 20-0 second quarter run by Valley West.
The Valley West punt was down inches from the goal line. After three runs, PA punted from deep in the endzone it was downed at the PA 28.
From there, despite two tackles for loss by Falcone, Valley West scored in six plays, the Td an 11-yard pass from Bauer to Lucky Williams that gave Valley West the lead for good at 7:08 of the second.
At 4:41 Ortiz returned a punt for a score to make it 19-7 with the Pat.
Just 18 seconds later it was 25-7.
On the first play after an interception Valley West scored a 68-yard double pass play. Williams got the ball in the flat from Bauer.
It looked like a screen, but Williams threw deep to Derrick Simms who was open by 20 yards for the Td.
After the kick off the Patriots gave it a shot to get back in the game driving from their own 35 to the Valley West 30.
Starinsky picked up 11 yards on a 4th-an-9 on a slant pass to keep the drive going, but it ended with an interception at the Valley West 4.
The half ended 25-7.
Simms scored two Tds in the third on an interception return and 30-yard run.
Starinsky had six receptions for 74 yards and Houseman caught three for 24. Maxwell and Gattuso each had 31 yards rushing.
Emmett was 9-14 for 108 with three picks.
Friday the Patriots are home against Wyoming Area.
The Warriors (7-2) can clinch the top seed in the District 2 2A playoffs with a win.
The Patriots are 2-7.