PD Sports

By Dave Konopki, Times Leader

Wyoming Area freshman running back Matt Kintz ignited a spark for his team last weekend against Coughlin.

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Top, WA’s Matt Kintz is tackled after a gain. Above, Kintz rushes for some of his 150 yards. Left, C.J. Werner gets after the Tiger punter after a bad snap.

Photos by Steve Hutz

click image to enlarge

Top, WA’s Matt Kintz is tackled after a gain. Above, Kintz rushes for some of his 150 yards. Left, C.J. Werner gets after the Tiger punter after a bad snap.

Photos by Steve Hutz

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On Friday night, he lit a fire under the Warriors. And, in the process, he burned Tunkhannock.

Kintz rushed for 144 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown with 56 seconds remaining to lift Wyoming Area to a 25-19 win against the Tigers in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 3A game.

After stopping Tunkhannock on fourth-and-5 with 3:59 remaining, Wyoming Area took possession on its own 16-yard line. Two plays later, senior running back C.J. Werner left the game with an apparent leg injury. On the next play, senior running back Nate Bowden was injured during a 41-yard run and taken out of the game.

So with his team on the Tunkhannock 38 and less than two minutes remaining, Kintz took over.

Handling the pressure like a seasoned veteran, the ninth-grader ran for 3 yards and followed it with a 15-yard run. After being stopped for no gain, Kintz took a pitch from quarterback Chris Murphy, broke to the outside and outraced several defenders to the end zone.

“He got an opportunity when we were down by 20 last week and he sparked the team,” said Warriors head coach Randy Spencer, whose team lost to Coughlin, 20-14, in that game. “He gave us an energy that came into this game.

“He doesn’t try to do too much. He hits the hole and he doesn’t quit. He never gives up on his runs.”

A few minutes before the touchdown run, it appeared as though Tunkhannock was on its way to the game-winning score. After a 1-yard touchdown run by Werner tied the game at 19-19 with 8:28 remaining in regulation, C.J. Jenkins returned the ensuing kickoff 34 yards to midfield.

Tunkhannock methodically drove the ball on the ground toward the Warriors end zone. On fourth-and-5 from the Wyoming Area 20, senior fullback Colton Rosario – who finished with 102 yards – took a handoff and carried several defenders toward the first-down mark. Officials stopped the game for a measurement, and the ball was three chain links shy of the first down.

“Football is a game of inches,” said Tunkhannock head coach Frank Berardelli. “We just came up a little short. (Wyoming Area) runs the ball very well and they have a nice passing game that you have to be aware of.”

The first-year Tunkhannock head coach was impressed by Kintz, who rushed for his 144 yards on 25 carries. Bowden added 97 yards on 14 carries, while Werner rushed for 46 as the Warriors ran for 290 yards.

“He’s a very nice running back,” Berardelli said. “I was very impressed by him. We knew No. 23 (Bowden) and No. 36 (Werner) were good backs. So is (Kintz). He’s outstanding for a freshman.”

The Warriors are 4-4. They have Valley West Friday in West Pittston, then go to Pittston Area on Halloween.

The Warriors, with 440 playoff points, have a shot at the 3A playoffs, but would have to beat Valley West to make it happen.