Sports

By Tom Robinson
Go Lackawanna sports correspondent

CLARKS SUMMIT – The Abington Heights passing game and the entire Hazleton Area offensive unit had to wait for a turn Saturday afternoon.

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Abington tailback Paul Gallagher, left, runs the ball as fullback Kody Pasqualichio (21) blocks Hazleton defender A.J. Petrone (20). With 194 yards, Gallagher led the Comets on the ground.

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The first 7:19 of the high school football season for the Comets and Cougars was about the Abington Heights offensive line showing what it could do.

The Comets opened the game with 15 consecutive runs, all but two of them between the tackles, to establish control on their way to a 33-18 victory in a game that might have matched the top team in each of District 2’s leagues.

“We were able to shorten the game and keep the ball out of the Hazleton offense’s hands,” Abington Heights coach Joe Repshis said.

Hazleton Area ran just three offensive plays in the first quarter and six in the first 15 minutes while Abington Heights opened a 13-0 lead by running the ball on 23 of 25 plays, including the first 18.

Paul Gallagher ran 11 yards for the second score and later added touchdown runs of 55 and 34 yards to break open the game.

“You can only crowd the line of scrimmage so much and eventually they’re going to break one on you,” Hazleton Area coach Rocco Petrone said.

Gallagher led a 302-yard rushing attack with 194 yards on 21 carries.

“It was the offensive line,” said Gallagher, who stopped to rattle off the names of center Adrian Brunori, guards Sal Conaboy and John Price, tackles Evan Craig and Kevin Kilpatrick and backup Joe Dolan. “I didn’t do much.

“I just followed my blockers and ran as fast as I could.”

Most of the runs by Gallagher and James Fruehan, who rotated in at tailback and added 52 yards on 10 carries, also involved a lead block from fullbacks Kody Pasqualichio or John Snyder.

“There’s no doubt,” Petrone said. “Their offensive line definitely made the difference in this game. They’re big, strong and well coached.

“They put it to us. They were the better team today.”

After Abington Heights built up advantages of 10-2 in first downs, 140-48 in total yards and 14:05-9:55 in time of possession in the first half, Hazleton Area used big plays to get back in the game.

Don Pollitt returned the second-half kickoff 91 yards for a score and A.J. Petrone broke a 58-yard run around right end on the first play after Abington Heights quarterback Mike Beamish ran for his second touchdown.

“There were times when I thought the defense had some nice momentum, but we got worn down,” coach Petrone said. “We have to find a way to get our athletes more involved.”

The Cougars had just one possession with a chance at the lead and had to punt after three plays.

Gallagher then broke his long runs, through big holes off left tackle, in the last minute of the third quarter and on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Hazleton Area, the defending Wyoming Valley Conference Class 4A champion, made one last push. The Cougars converted three consecutive fourth-down situations, including Chad Hoffman’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Dean McKernan with 4:28 left.

Chad Nicholas recovered his own on-side kick and caught an 18-yard pass from Hoffman to convert another fourth-down situation before two consecutive sacks stopped the final threat.