Sports

By Dave Konopki dkonopki@timesleader.com
Assistant Sports Editor

WILKES-BARRE – Having been burned on an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by GAR speedster Kurtis Thomas just a few minutes before, Lakeland head coach Jeff Wasilchak instructed placekicker Corey Desanto not to kick the ball deep on the next kickoff by the Chiefs.

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GAR’s Darrell Crawford (8) scores a touchdown in first quarter action against Lakeland in the District 2 Class 2A semifinal at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium. Crawford’s 10-yard run gave the Grenadiers an early 7-0 lead, but Lakeland scored a 26-21 win.

Bill tarutis/for the times leader

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The senior followed the instructions and provided a wobbling squib kick that took a wild spin and began heading out of bounds.

GAR didn’t recover the kickoff.

And the Grenadiers never recovered from the mistake.

Lakeland recovered the kickoff and followed with a touchdown less than two minutes later – part of a three-touchdown second quarter by the Chiefs – en route to advancing to the District 2 Class 2A championship with a 26-21 win Friday night at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium.

The Chiefs (8-3) will play top-seeded Dunmore (11-0) for the district title next Friday night at a site to be determined. GAR ends its season with an 8-3 record and the Wyoming Valley Conference Class 2A championship.

Thomas had given GAR a 14-6 lead with his electric 88-yard kickoff return with 10:06 remaining in the second quarter. Lakeland responded with a six-play, 34-yard touchdown drive that was capped on a 14-yard run by quarterback Ryan Kiehart to make it 14-12 with 7:32.

Desanto followed with his spinning kickoff, which was recovered by teammate Alex Filarsky. Forty yards and four plays later, rugged Lakeland running back Al Tuzze scored the second of his three touchdowns – and added the 2-point run – to give the Chiefs a 20-14 lead.

It was a lead they would never relinquish.

“We told the kids to look for the squib (kick),” said GAR head coach Tony Khalife, referring to the kickoff. “We just didn’t come up to cover it. The kid kicked a nice kick. It spun into the ground like a top and they recovered it. We didn’t recover from that play. You have to overcome adversity in these types of games and we didn’t in the first half.”

Behind the running of elusive quarterback Darrell Crawford and Thomas, GAR had little trouble moving the ball for most of the first half. Crawford, who rushed for 103 yards on 16 carries, gave his team a 7-0 lead on a 10-yard run late in the first quarter. The play capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive. Thomas finished the game with 80 rushing yards.

But following the missed kickoff, things began to unravel for the Grenadiers.

On the ensuing possession following Tuzze’s second touchdown, GAR lost a fumble. The Grenadiers ran just nine plays from scrimmage in the second quarter.

“We kind of lost focus in the second quarter,” said Khalife. “They seized the momentum. That short period of time in the second quarter, when they scored those two touchdowns, cost us the football game.”

Lakeland put together an impressive 17-play, 69-yard drive to start the second half. Tuzze capped the drive, which took 8:12 off the game clock, on a 1-yard run to give Lakeland a 26-14 lead. Kiehart led a balanced rushing attack with 97 yards, while Tuzze and Brett Kuwik finished with 76 and 61 yards, respectively.

Holding a 12-point lead, Lakeland attempted a fake punt attempt. Instead of picking up the first down, the Chiefs fumbled the ball, which was scooped up by GAR’s Darian Twyman and carried to the Lakeland 14. Three plays later, Thomas scored from a yard out to make it 26-21. The Grenadiers had two possessions deep inside their own territory late in the game, but couldn’t mount a game-winning drive.

“I thought our defense definitely stepped it up in the second half,” said Khalife. “Our kids played with a lot of heart. We made some plays when we had to get back into the game.

“Give (Lakeland) a lot of credit. They beat us up a little up front in the second quarter. That’s something that hasn’t been done to us all year. We had our opportunities. We didn’t take advantage of them.”

DISTRICT 2 CLASS 2A SEMIFINALS

Lakeland 26, GAR 21

First Quarter

GAR – Crawford 10 run (McCann kick) 1:49

Second Quarter

LAKE – Tuzze 2 run (kick failed) 10:18

GAR – Thomas 88 kickoff return (McCann kick) 10:06

LAKE – Kuwik 14 run (run failed) 7:32

LAKE – Tuzze 9 run (Tuzze run) 5:51

Third Quarter

LAKE – Tuzze 1 run (run failed) 3:48

Fourth Quarter

GAR – Thomas 1 run (McCann) 6:58

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – GAR: Crawford 16-103, Thomas 16-80, Welgosh 3-3, Powell 1-(-3). LAKE: Kuwik 16-61, Kiehart 13-97, Tuzze 20-76, Hanley 1-2, Grande 1-5, Filarsky 1(-6).

PASSING – GAR: Crawford 2-7-38-1, Twyman 0-1-0-0, Letteer 0-1-0-1. Kiehart 4-10-78-1.

RECEIVING – GAR: Twyman 2-38. LAKE: Kuwik 1-12, Carito 1-18, Peregrin 1-30, Filarsky 1-18.

INTS – GAR: Gates. LAKE: Demming, Grande

MISSED FGS – None