Sports

KEITH JABLONSKI For the Times Leader

EXETER -- Pittston Area running back Chris Price followed up his 334-yard rushing performance last week with another gem, leading his Patriots to a 40-19 victory over rival Wyoming Area Friday night.

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Pittston Area running back Mike Capone (30) outraces Wyoming Area’s Matt Kintz (1) for a touchdown in the second quarter on Friday night.

BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER

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Price, a senior, finished with 203 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the Wyoming Valley Conference 3A game and was given the Falcone Memorial Award, which goes to the game’s most valuable player.

“Being the last game of my career, this was a big game for me,” Price said after the game, holding the trophy. “We really wanted to stick it to them and show the younger kids what kind of rivalry this really is.”

Wyoming Area (2-8) kept the game close for three and a half quarters until two late Patriot touchdowns put the game out of reach.

After a defense-dominated first quarter, Price scored his first touchdown of the night on a 15-yard scamper on which he went untouched up the middle to put Pittston Area (4-6) ahead 13-0 midway through the second quarter.

“He’s a very good football player,” Pittston Area coach Tony Donato said of Price. “He’s a tough kid and he makes plays.”

Wyoming Area answered Pittston’s score, capping off a 66-yard drive with a 56-yard run by Nick O’Brien.

But the Patriots struck right back.

After a penalty that backed them up 10 yards, Patriots quarterback R.J. Emmett found Jim McDermott for a 40-yard gain. Three plays later, Emmett found Dwight Houseman for a 33-yard touchdown pass to go up 19-6 at halftime.

“Any time you win is a good thing,” Donato said. “Obviously this one’s a little more special. The kids played well tonight. I’m proud of them.”

On the opening possession of the second half, Wyoming Area ran the ball effectively with a variety of backs. The Warriors finished off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by O’Brien to close the gap, making the score 19-13 late in the third quarter.

O’Brien finished the game with 87-all purpose yards and 2 touchdowns.

Pittston Area then started feeding the ball to Price in the fourth quarter, and he accounted for 58 of the 90 yards on the Patriots’ next possession. Price scampered into the end zone from 7 yards out for the final score of his high school career.

After Warriors quarterback Chris Murphy threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Aidan Marich to bring the score to 27-19, Pittston Area started grinding out the clock.

Jesse Smigiel scored from a yard out to put the Patriots up 34-19, and Mike Stankoski ended the game with a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown.