Interception turns tide for Easton

EASTON – Hazleton Area’s Chad Hoffman looked downfield and released the ball; a high pass that arched into the end zone.

Having already compiled over 100 yards in the first quarter through the air, the sophomore quarterback was looking to keep his team in the game.

But as the pass fell into the hands of Easton cornerback Kadeem Pankey in the final minute of the second quarter, all the wind seemed to come right out of the Cougars’ sails.

Easton was the model of consistently Friday night at Cottingham Stadium, scoring a touchdown in each quarter of the game to win 28-6 in the District 2/4-11 semifinal over Hazleton.

“It’s disappointing,” said Hoffman. “We played with a lot of heart. We’ve played well all season.

Hoffman was nearly unstoppable in the first 15 minutes of the game, hitting four different receivers for 104 yards and moving the ball within 10 yards of the goal line.

One of those completions, a 38-yard pass to wide receiver Chad Nicholas on third down, swung the momentum in the Cougars favor just when the Red Rovers were attempting to shut the door early.

“It gave us a lot of confidence,” said Hoffman. “I saw that our receivers were getting behind their safeties and I let it go.”

Hoffman’s risk-taking paid off – in the early going of Friday’s contest at least.

Two plays after Hoffman and Nicholas hooked up for the 38-yarder, running back Matt Manfredi punched the ball into the end zone on a one-yard scoring run.

It would be one of Manfredi’s last measureable contributions to Friday’s semifinal after the senior running back exited the game on the first play of the second half after injuring his ankle.

Manfredi did return briefly late in the second half, but was clearly hobbled by his injury.

“It’s tough when one of your leaders goes down,” said Hazleton coach Rocco Petrone. “(Manfredi) is tough to replace and it was hard to recover when he was gone.”

Not only did the Cougars lose one half of a potent running combo when Manfredi exited the game, but they also lost their starting defensive back.

After only logging 25 yards on the ground in the first half, Easton running back Quran Hughes exploited Hazleton’s defense for 83 yards and a touchdown in the second half.

“Our kids hung in there for a good deal of the game,” said Petrone. “Easton is one of the best teams in the state. It’s a testament to our kids and our program that we hung in there as long as we did.”

Easton scored first in the game, taking over on downs after Hazleton failed to convert on a fourth-an-one attempt in the first quarter.

Red Rover quarterback Justin Paccioli took the ball on first down and placed it in the hands of wide receiver Jeff Staton, who was streaking down the left sideline, for a 26-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

In the second quarter, leading 7-6 after Manfredi’s touchdown, Paccioli found running back Jashaad Gaddy out of the backfield for a 32-yard score and a 14-6 lead heading into the locker room.

In the third quarter, it Hughes who took the ball 29 yards down to the 1-yard line before punching the ball into the end zone on the very next play.

Hughes had 108 yards rushing in the game and surpassed the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the season.

The fourth quarter saw a new face in the Easton backfield with Kyle Smith carrying the ball for the Red Rovers.

Smith ran twice ran the ball only three times, but found the end zone on his second carry. He finished the night with 37 yards and a touchdown.

Hazleton’s offensive line seemed passive at times, and was forced to fight off an aggressive Easton defense.

Hoffman was sacked twice for a total of 21 yards lost in the game, but dealt with pressure from the Red Rovers’ outside linebackers nearly all game long.