Pittston Area’s Brody Spindler (0) has brought a power running game to the Patriots.
Tony Callaio | Times Leader File Photo
There are three longtime rivalries on the schedule as the Wyoming Valley Conference football completes its regular season Friday night.
There’s Lake-Lehman at Dallas in the Old Shoe Game, which dates back to 1958. The trophy itself goes even further back to 1948 when it was awarded to the best team in the Back Mountain.
Then there’s Nanticoke Area at Hanover Area in the Sans Souci Struggle, a moniker adopted in 2018. The schools first played under their current names in 1967 after several school mergers were completed. Nanticoke High School and Hanover High School, though, first played in 1920.
And finally, there’s Pittston Area at Wyoming Area which is called … well, it really doesn’t have a name. It’s just a game between cross-river rivals dating back to 1967. Still, it’s the best of the three Friday night.
Pittston Area and Wyoming Area both bring in 8-1 records, marking only the third time both teams enter the game with one loss. The other two occasions need asterisks.
The WVC and Lackawanna Conference merged for the 2000 and 2001 seasons to form the ill-fated Northeast Pennsylvania Football Conference. Pittston Area and Wyoming Area played Week 4 those years and each team was 2-1 those times.
There have been some oddities concerning final scores. Pittston Area won 7-5 in 1974 and 6-2 in 1989. The game has been decided by one point five times, with Wyoming Area winning three. The last seven meetings haven’t been close as the margin of victory has been double digits.
Here are some factors to consider in tonight’s game, which starts at 7 p.m.
• Playoff Picture: The game has more playoff implications for Pittston Area than Wyoming Area.
Pittston Area is atop the District 2 Class 5A standings, but a loss and an Abington Heights’ win over Hazleton Area creates a very slight chance the Patriots could drop to second.
Wyoming Area appears locked into the second seed in District 2 Class 3A. The Warriors would need to win and have unbeaten Berwick lose to Tunkhannock for any chance of gaining the top spot. Even if that happens, it’s doubtful the Warriors jump over Berwick.
• Mirror Images: The only difference between Wyoming Area’s Luke Kopetchny and Pittston Area’s Lucas LoPresto is height. Kopetchny is five inches taller. Otherwise, the two juniors are basically the same player.
Both are outstanding receivers who make difficult catches look easy and are extremely elusive with the ball.
Both are outstanding defensive backs and each has returned an interception for a touchdown. Kopetchny has three picks and LoPresto one but has returned two fumbles for TDs.
There’s a good chance No. 1 (LoPresto) and No. 8 (Kopetchny) could match up on some plays.
• Power vs. Speed: Pittston Area has one of the biggest running backs in the WVC in 220-pound Brody Spindler. Wyoming Area counters with a couple fast backs in Nick Ciampi and Trustin Johnson.
Spindler, a District 2 wrestling champion, does plenty of damage between the tackles. While he doesn’t have breakaway speed, he hits the hole very quickly and can pick up chunks of yardage. The Patriots also have LoPresto take direct snaps for an added threat.
Ciampi and Johnson rely more on speed, but both are tough runners. They have combined for 1,222 yards and 16 touchdowns and average 6.8 yards per carry.
WEEK 9 REWIND
Some of the highlights from last Friday’s action.
• Berwick’s Ty’Meere Wilkerson rushed for 305 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-0 win against Selinsgrove, edging him closer to a couple school single-season records.
Wilkerson has 2,158 yards and 30 rushing TDs. The school records for both were set by Brant Quick in 2004. Quick had 2,436 yards and 35 rushing touchdowns. Quick needed 352 carries to reach those milestones. Wilkerson has carried the ball just 172 times.
The Dawgs have at minimum two games left, so Wilkerson looks certain to break the records.
• Hanover Area shut out Lake-Lehman 35-0 for its fifth shutout win of the season.
The last time the Hawkeyes posted a shutout prior to this season was Week 8 of 2014 when they defeated Panther Valley 34-0. They did have a shutout of Montrose in 2023, but that was a forfeit that was recorded as 1-0.
• Holy Redeemer defeated Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech 38-12 for its second win of the season. The Royals go for a third win at Midd-West (1-8) on Friday.
A victory will mark only the fifth time in the program’s 19-year history that it won at least three games in a season. The 2022 team set the school mark by going 4-7.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
The Eastern Conference playoffs were once the crown jewel of the postseason before state playoffs. Once the PIAA mandated in 1994 that district playoffs were the only road to the state tournament, the Eastern Conference lost its luster.
Still, the Eastern Conference does give teams a chance for an 11th game if they don’t make the district playoffs. North Pocono took the opportunity last year and is now 9-0 and will be the top seed in the District 2 Class 4A playoffs.
Lake-Lehman is currently the only WVC team in position for a spot in the Eastern Conference Division 3A title game.
WEEK 10 AT A GLANCE
Abington Heights (7-2) at Hazleton Area (1-8)
7 p.m. Friday
The Coaches: Abington Heights’ Joe Repshis (132-96), 20th year; Hazleton Area’s Scott Sacco (1-8), 1st year
Last Meeting: Abington 27-0 in 2024
First Meeting: Abington 27-0 in 1999
All-Time Series: Abington 13-4
Scouting Abington: The Comets scored on all six first-half possessions in a 49-13 win vs. Scranton. QB Nick Bradley missed his fourth consecutive game with an injury, but backup Noah Kayal has been doing a solid job. RB Jayden Anglin has a chance at a 1,000-yard season as he goes against a defense which has surrendered over 200 yards rushing five times. No matter the outcome, Abington will probably be the second seed in D2-5A.
Scouting Hazleton Area: The Cougars are all but certain to be the fourth seed in the D2/4-6A playoffs, but need to generate some offense heading into the postseason. They haven’t scored more than two TDs in any of their last three games and in six games total. Hazleton Area was dominated 37-7 by Dallas last Friday and managed just 114 yards of offense.
Bottom Line: The Comets go into the postseason with some momentum.
Berwick (9-0) at Tunkhannock (4-5)
7 p.m. Friday
The Coaches: Berwick’s CJ Curry (13-7), 2nd year; Tunkhannock’s Pat Keating (92-55), 3rd year at Tunkhannock; 12th overall
Last Meeting: Berwick 55-6 in 2024
First Meeting: Tunkhannock 7-6 in 1987
All-Time Series: Berwick 25-1
Scouting Berwick: The Dawgs demolished Selinsgrove 56-0, using big plays to take a 35-0 lead into halftime. RB Ty’Meere Wilkerson had another 300-yard rushing game and is on the verge of setting the school’s single-season record for rushing yards. But the bigger aspect of the victory was the defense. The group had two interceptions and is really swarming to the ball like the teams Curry’s grandfather coached.
Scouting Tunkhannock: The Tigers won their second in a row with a 34-27 victory over Towanda. All-purpose Andrew Lupinski returned after missing some time and rushed for over 100 yards and caught a TD pass. RB Lucas Ciprich had his fourth 100-yard rushing game. Tunkhannock’s only hopes for the postseason is the Eastern Conference playoffs, but the odds looked stacked against that happening.
Bottom Line: Berwick rolls into the postseason with a big win.
Crestwood (4-5) at Wyo. Valley West (1-8)
7 p.m. Friday
The Coaches: Crestwood’s Ryan Arcangeli (45-33), 7th year; Valley West’s Bob Stelma (2-28) 3rd year
Last Meeting: Crestwood 54-14 in 2024
First Meeting: Valley West 42-8 in 1981
All-Time Series: Valley West 11-6
Scouting Crestwood: Despite a two-game losing streak, the Comets still hold onto the fourth and final D2-4A playoff spot. However, the grip is tenuous. The offense has gone flat the past two weeks, scoring just one touchdown. After two respectable defensive performances, Crestwood allowed over 300 yards in a 35-7 loss to Wilkes-Barre Area last Friday.
Scouting Valley West: The Spartans lost 52-21 to Valley View, a team which has some issues scoring this season. QB Damien Eastman returned to the lineup and that meant more targets for WVC reception leader John Richards. He responded with six catches for 156 yards and two TDs. Valley West hasn’t been able to move the ball on the ground with any consistency. Should make the D2-5A playoffs despite the outcome.
Bottom Line: Crestwood secures a postseason berth.
Holy Redeemer (2-7) at Midd-West (1-8)
7 p.m. Friday
The Coaches: Redeemer’s Vito Quaglia (3-25), 1st year at Redeemer, 3rd overall; Midd-West’s Jeff Janovich (2-17), 2nd year
Last Meeting: Midd-West 27-13 in 2024
First Meeting: Midd-West 27-13 in 2024
All-Time Series: Midd-West 1-0
Scouting Redeemer: The Royals took control in the second half in a 38-12 victory over Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech. Surprisingly, it was the running game which had been ineffective all season that changed the tide. Redeemer rushed for a season-high four TDs, with David Jeckel scoring two of them. After snapping a 24-game losing streak earlier in the season, a third win would be a great boost for the program.
Scouting Midd-West: The Mustangs opened the season with a win over Central Columbia and played a couple close games, but since then have struggled mightily. They lost 62-0 to Mifflinburg last week and have been outscored 144-7 in their last three games. The offense hasn’t thrown a TD pass, but has had 13 passes intercepted. The running game is pedestrian.
Bottom Line: Good chance for the Royals to get a third win.
Lake-Lehman (4-5) at Dallas (4-5)
7 p.m. Friday
The Coaches: Lake-Lehman’s Jerry Gilsky (96-78) 16th year; Dallas’ Rich Mannello (89-41), 11th year
Last Meeting: Dallas 28-7 in 2024
First Meeting: Lehman 26-6 in 1958
All-Time Series: Dallas 51-14-2
Scouting Lehman: The Black Knights all but dropped out of the D2-3A playoff picture with a 35-0 loss to Hanover Area. They fumbled nine times, losing three, as the offense never got any traction. The defense had an incredible five 15-yard penalties on one Hanover Area scoring drive. There were a couple injuries as well, although neither looked overly concerning. In the running for an Eastern Conference playoff bid if desired.
Scouting Dallas: The Mountaineers continued to distance themselves from a 1-5 start with a 37-7 win over Hazleton Area. They controlled the clock, running nearly twice as many plays as Hazleton Area. Sam Kelley returned a punt for a touchdown for the second time this season. A D2-4A home playoff game is possible with a win and a Valley View loss.
Bottom Line: One 4-5 record looks better than the other at this point.
Nanticoke Area (0-9) at Hanover Area (5-4)
7 p.m. Friday
The Coaches: Nanticoke Area’s Damon Saxon (0-9), 1st year; Hanover Area’s Eric Richardson (5-4), 1st year
Last Meeting: Hanover Area 16-14
First Meeting: Nanticoke Area 20-6 in 1967
All-Time Series: Nanticoke Area 32-25-1
Scouting Nanticoke Area: The Trojans went into a game against once-beaten Wyoming Area and exited with a 60-7 loss. A 60-yard TD run by Jonah Guzman prevented a third shutout loss. Nanticoke Area has allowed 56 or more points four times and now gets a Hanover Area team which has been improving nearly every week. A winless season for the first time since 2008 seems likely.
Scouting Hanover Area: Hanover Area was very impressive in a 35-0 win over Lake-Lehman that more than likely locks up a D2-3A playoff spot. RB Dewayne Downey became the Hawkeyes’ first 100-yard rusher since Week 4 with 129 yards. QB Logan Richardson sealed the win with two fourth-quarter TD throws. The defense pitched its fifth shutout of the season.
Bottom Line: The Sans Souci Struggle Game goes to Hanover Area.
Pittston Area (8-1) at Wyoming Area (8-1)
7 p.m. Friday
The Coaches: Pittston Area’s Paul Russick (31-30), 1st year at Pittston Area, 6th overall; Wyoming Area’s Randy Spencer (123-66) 17th year
Last Meeting: Wyoming Area 28-0
First Meeting: Pittston Area 28-7
All-Time Series: Wyoming Area 35-25
Scouting Pittston Area: The Patriots needed a blocked extra point by John Jadus to escape with a 14-13 win at Wallenpaupack. Three of their last five games – all wins – have been one-score games, including a 36-35 overtime victory against Dallas. So Pittston Area is battle tested entering the rivalry game. The Patriots will be home next week in the D2-5A playoffs, but home field advantage throughout districts could be on then line tonight.
Scouting Wyoming Area: As expected, Wyoming Area routed winless Nanticoke Area 60-7. A couple TD grabs by Luke Kopetchny and a couple TD runs by backup RB Nicholas Kondrosky had the game wrapped up at halftime. The Warriors have given up 21 points total in their last three games, but now faces an offense which is the most diverse they’ve played all season. Will be home next week in the D2-3A playoffs.
Bottom Line: Could come down to which team makes the fewer mistakes.
Williamsport (4-5) at Wilkes-Barre Area (6-3)
7 p.m. Friday
The Coaches: Williamsport’s Mike Pearson (43-53) 4th year at Williamsport, 9th overall; WBA’s Ciro Cinti (109-107) 7th year at WBA, 20th year overall
Last Meeting: Williamsport 14-0 in 2024
First Meeting: WBA 28-7 in 2019
All-Time Series: Williamsport 4-3
Scouting Williamsport: The Millionaires hit a pocket of turbulence on their schedule, playing three consecutive unbeaten teams. They were outscored 174-32 in those games, including a 69-6 thrashing at the hands of Hollidaysburg last Friday. Most of the offense is funneled through dual-threat QB Tevin Williams, who also leads the team in rushing. The offense doesn’t seem to have an abundance of explosive athletes like in the past.
Scouting WBA: The Wolfpack dominated Crestwood 35-7. RB Devon Underwood had his first 100-yard rushing game and only the second by a player this season. WBA wanted to run the ball more this season, but it’s been a mix bag of success. QB Jake Howe has thrown at least one TD pass in every game, spreading out those throws to eight different receivers. The Wolfpack has locked up the top seed in the D2/4-6A playoffs.
Bottom Line: A likely preview of the D2/4-6A title game.
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