TimesLeader.com

November 1

Valley West Spartans overwhelm Warriors 58-13

By Dave Rosengrant drosengrant@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter

Having been in five close games this season that were decided by seven points or less, Wyoming Valley West was in need of a runaway.

It got just that Friday night.

The Spartans racked up nearly 500 yards of offense, held Wyoming Area to just 120 total yards and forced four turnovers in a 58-13 rout of the Warriors at Spartan Stadium. It was the Warriors seventh consecutive loss after a 2-0 start.

With the win, Wyoming Valley West (6-3) gets a big boost in its quest for a District 2-4-11 Class 4A subregional playoff berth.

Valley West receiver Eugene Lewis was once again the big star for the Spartans as he had a huge day, finishing with six receptions for 234 yards and three touchdowns. That doesn’t include another catch that would have gone for about 40 yards when he laid out and made a catch, but the ball the came out of his hands when he hit turf. He also returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown, but that was called back because of a holding penalty.

The Warriors (2-7) struggled mightily on their first four drives of the game. Their first play from scrimmage was an interception by Christian Martinez. After the Spartans’ next drive when Lewis’ first touchdown reception from Haggerty made the score 10-0 with 1:51 left in the first quarter, Wyoming Area gave the ball away on their next play from scrimmage when QB Chris Murphy fumbled and the Spartans recovered.

The Warriors’ next two drives ended in three-and-out.

Before the first quarter ended, Lewis hauled in a 45-yard pass from Haggerty to put WVW ahead 17-0.

The biggest play Lewis had came in the third quarter to put the Spartans up 38-6. That’s when Haggerty found the speedy, lanky receiver for a 20-yard strike and Lewis broke through the Wyoming Area defense for a 90-yard TD.

“I never had a play like that before so I’m going to enjoy it,” Lewis noted.

The Valley West junior varsity also came through big after the big play from Lewis. Keating pulled all his starters and the backups scored three more touchdowns, led by Phil Simms, who ran for two. Simms, a junior, also ended as the team’s leading rusher carrying the ball just nine times for 105 yards.

The Warriors first score came with 1:26 left in the first half as Murphy had a 1-yard QB sneak for a score. They added a 99-yard kickoff return for a TD by Ahmed Bouie in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors, 2-7, host Pittston Area, 3-6, on Friday.