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It’s never happened before.
In the history of the Wyoming Valley Conference, two teams from the league have never played for a state title in the same season.
That streak ends this week when the Dallas Mountaineers and the Wyoming Area Warriors go for championships in their respective classifications.
They are two teams that everyone in the Wyoming Valley should be pulling for this weekend. Whether you are an alumni of one of the two schools or not, let’s all get behind the Moutaineers and Warroirs.
Argents, Mohawks, Crusaders, Grenadiers, Cougars, Spartans, Wolfpack members and all the rest – yes, even Black Knights and Patriots — should have no problem changing allegiances in football for just a few days.
The Mountaineers will be up first, taking on Thomas Jefferson for the Class 4A title on Thursday in Hersheypark Stadium.
Both teams enter with 15-0 records, but this Dallas team has its origin in humble beginnings.
Four seasons ago, Dallas had 12 freshman on a team that would go 2-9, according to Sports Writer John Erzar’s story in today’s Times Leader. There are 11 of them left on the roster now, forming the nucleus of team on the brink of a championship.
“This is the fifth year and every class that came before this one is responsible for what’s happening right now. We’ve got to get that straight,” Dallas Coach Rich Mannello told Erzar. “We are not where we’re at in this football season without every class that came before them. …
“But this group in ninth grade, they held true to the process and embraced the process and went through that grind in the weight room.”
Wyoming Area gets it shot at state title glory on Saturday in the Class 3A game against Central Valley.
The Warriors enter the game 13-1, the lone blemish on their record coming at the hands of a perennial state power. That game was the most anticipated of the season for Wyoming Area fans this year… well, until Saturday’s game that is.
And while any trip to a state title game would be special, this one certainly holds something a little bit extra for the Warriors. It’s the first time a team from the school in any sport will be playing for a state title.
“It’s just incredible, historic for our program to play for a state championship,” said Wyoming Area Coach Randy Spencer, who was also a player and assistant coach for the Warriors. “As great as that is and as big as that is, we’ve been talking all year with this group about just playing one more together.”
And just one more they will play together with the nothing less than a state title on the line.
So come Thursday and then again Saturday, let’s see all football fans in the region pull together and root the Mountaineers and Warriors on the victory.
– Times Leader