Tunkhannock’s Andrew Lupinski reacts to scoring a touchdown against Hanover Area in the second quarter.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
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Hanover Area’s Malique Campbell runs against Tunkhannock in the first quarter.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Tunkhannock’s Andrew Lupinski moves the ball against Hanover Area in the first quarter at Wilkes-Barre Area High School. Lupinski finished with 117 yards rushing.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Tunkhannock’s Karver Lewis draws a group of Hanover Area defenders after catching a pass in the second quarter.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Tunkhannock’s Karver Lewis turns up field in the first quarter as Hanover Area linebacker Camden Kratz tries to grab hold.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
PLAINS TWP. — It’s not often a midseason football game between two teams with a combined one win has significant playoff implications.
And that team with one victory, Tunkhannock, took a big step towards the District 2 Class 3A postseason on Friday night.
The Tigers completely dominated winless Hanover Area, intercepting two passes, recording six sacks and scoring twice on defense in a 43-0 victory in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 game at Wilkes-Barre Area High School.
Tunkhannock (1-2 Div. 2, 2-4 overall) also received a big offensive performance from Andrew Lupinski. Lupinski entered the game with just 39 yards rushing, but finished with 117 and three touchdowns on just nine rushes.
The victory moved Tunkhannock into the eighth and final spot in the D2-3A playoffs as of late Friday night. Hanover Area (0-2 Div. 2, 0-6) remained in the 10th spot.
“That would be great experience for us,” Tunkhannock second-year coach Pat Keating said. “We’re learning how to do a lot of things right now as a team and as a program. But I’m proud of the effort that they gave tonight. The effort out there was fantastic.”
The defensive effort included a sack by Lucas Ciprich that resulted in a fumble and a safety late in the second quarter. Tunkhannock’s sixth sack resulted in another fumble in the end zone. This time defensive lineman James Thomas jumped on the ball at 6:16 of the fourth quarter. The extra point made it 37-0 to bring about the mercy rule.
The Tigers’ final touchdown in a 16-point second quarter was set up by an interception by Randall Paxton. Paxton tipped a pass in the air and then raced down the sideline to grab the ball about five yards downfield. Lupinski’s 20-yard run gave Tunkhannock a 16-0 lead at halftime.
Dan Browning picked off a pass on Hanover Area’s third play from scrimmage in the third quarter. Ciprich finished off the 27-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run.
“We’ve been our own worst enemy in the first half of the season,” Keating said. “The thing that we preached to the kids all week is we have a second half to the season. We have a fresh start. Erase the things in the past. We have a lot of young kids playing football. We have a lot of kids playing their first and second years of football.
“So every day, every week is a learning process.”
While running back Malique Campbell rushed for 82 yards, Hanover Area finished with 11 yards of offense. The Hawkeyes have a home game with Wyoming Area next Friday that will be moved to Nanticoke Area because of the lead paint issue at their home stadium. Their home game on Oct. 18 against Lake-Lehman will also be elsewhere, although a site hasn’t been determined.
Tunkhannock 43, Hanover Area 0
Tunkhannock`0`16`14`13 — 43
Hanover Area`0`0`0`0 — 0
Second quarter
TUN — Andrew Lupinski 16 run (Jerome Callum kick), 10:16
TUN — Safety, Hanover Area fumble recovery in end zone, 2:53
TUN — Lupinski 20 run (Callum kick), 0:17
Third quarter
TUN — Lucas Ciprich 1 run (Callum kick), 8:05
TUN — Ciprich 10 run (Callum kick), 3:22
Fourth quarter
TUN — James Thomas fumble recovery in end zone (Ethan Dominick kick), 6:16
TUN — Dominick 5 run (pass failed), 3:51
Team statistics`TUN`HAN
First downs`14`5
Rushes-yards`35-211`35-1
Passing yards`64`10
Total yards`275`11
Passing`5-13-1`4-15-2
Sacked-yards lost`0-0`6-39
Punts-avg.`2-37.5`4-23
Fumbles-lost`4-0`3-2
Penalties-yards`9-60`6-48
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Tunkhannock, Ciprich 6-41, Karver Lewis 9-30, Zach Latwinski 4-(minus-1), Lupinski 9-117, Josiah Parr 1-(minus-7), Randall Paxton 3-28, Dominick 1-5, team 2-(minus-2). Hanover Area, Logan Richardson 6-(minus-36), Camden Kratz 2-4, Brody Richardson 4-1, Malique Campbell 12-82, Jonathan Otway-Kellom 2-(minus-7), Joshua Rivera 5-(minus-4), Tyler Herbert 1-(minus-2), Evan Rought 1-(minus-3), team 1-(minus-34).
PASSING — Tunkhannock, Latwinski 5-13-1-64. Hanover Area, L.Richardson 4-15-2-10.
RECEIVING — Tunkhannock, Lupinski 3-36, Lewis 1-18, Parr 1-10. Hanover Area, Otway-Kellom 1-2, Kratz 1-3, Campbell 1-(minus-3), B.Richardson 1-8.
INTERCEPTIONS — Tunkhannock, Paxton 1-7, Dan Browning 1-6. Hanover Area, Deacon Eisenbach 1-20.
MISSED FGs — none.