Wyoming Area’s Trustin Johnson (0) twists and turns his way into the end zone putting the UNICO Miners on the scoreboard Thursday night at Wilkes-Barre Area.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
UNICO Pioneers’ Brody Spindler (center, red jersey) of Pittston Area picks up where he left off last fall by bulldozing his way to a 1-yard touchdown for the first score of the night of the 75th UNICO All-Star game at Wilkes-Barre Area.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Jayden Skipalis (34) of Lake-Lehman finds daylight on an end around for the UNICO Pioneers on Thursday night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
PLAINS TWP. — Jake Howe had limited time with which to work during Thursday night’s UNICO All-Star Football Game.
The record-setting quarterback arrived late for a game that ultimately ended early.
That could not stop the Wilkes-Barre Area senior from shining one last time on his home field.
Howe was selected Most Valuable Player of a game that ended in a 14-14 tie when officials halted the action amid increasing penalties and animosities with 1:52 remaining.
Hurrying over after the Wolfpack lost to Hazleton Area in the District 2 Class 6A baseball championship game, Howe was in the locker room getting taped when starting lineups were introduced a few minutes after 7 p.m. He arrived on the sideline in time for the game’s second snap and took the field having thrown all of two warm-up tosses.
By the time the game was winding down, Howe was sufficiently warmed up to unleash a post pattern for a 61-yard touchdown to Wilkes-Barre Area teammate and speedster Kevon Creech with 1:58 left in the third quarter to lift the Miners into the tie with the Pioneers.
“It took me a little while,” Howe said. “I was a little rusty. I haven’t been throwing a football.
“ … It helps to be throwing to guys you’ve played with before.”
The charity game for graduating players from Wyoming Valley Conference schools was moving fast and without incident or penalty flags until the kickoff following Creech’s touchdown.
A skirmish broke out before the Pioneers bench on the kickoff and although the Miners players left the sideline, most never came near entering the fray on the opposite side.
The game was delayed and even appeared to be coming to a halt at that point as coaches wandered around the middle of the field following the decision by officials to eject a player from each team.
Play eventually resumed, but two penalties during the final Pioneers’ drive led to action being stopped. First, there was a personal foul at the end of one run.
Then, the Pioneers raced inside the 10 on a pass off a fourth-and-18 reverse from the 44, but a flag went up late in the play. The penalty on the Pioneers never did get stepped off as officials walked off the field indicating that the game was over.
“Obviously, I wish we had a better ending,” said Pittston Area’s Paul Russick, who coached the Pioneers.
The teams matched opposing styles.
The Pioneers used long, grinding drives to produce touchdowns in the second and third quarters, but the Miners quickly matched those touchdowns each time with the help of the Howe-led passing game.
Lake-Lehman’s Jayden Skipalis carried 11 times for 101 yards and a touchdown while Pittston Area’s Brody Spindler carried 12 times for 42 yards and the other score.
They combined for 13 of the 14 carries on a 77-yard, nearly 10-minute drive to the game’s first score.
Spindler went in from the 4 with 5:02 left in the half.
“I looked at the roster we had in our hand and we had like 12 or 13 linemen,” Russick said. “I said, ‘well, they’re all going to play and we’re going to just give it to the two big backs’.
“Nobody could tackle Brody during the season and Skipalis was impressive.”
Howe hit four straight passes for 45 yards as the Miners tied the game with 24 seconds left in the half on a 2-yard run by Wyoming Area’s Trustin Johnson.
The Pioneers held the ball for 8:56 to begin the second half. After Logan Geskey from Dallas and Spindler each ran to convert fourth-down situations, Skipalis ran 12 yards for the touchdown.
Two plays later, on second-and-16, Howe found Creech for the tying score. He finished 8-for-16 for 131 yards.
Wilkes-Barre Area’s Ciro Cinti, who coached the Miners, agreed that “you never want to see it end like that,” but reminded of the game’s meaning and took pleasure in one more chance to work with Howe.
“The whole reason you’re here for this game is first some competition, obviously,” Cinti said, “but also where this money is going to.
“What UNICO does is give back to the community and that’s what the whole gist of this game is.”
Cinti was surprised and pleased that Howe fit it into his spring schedule.
“That’s a kid that we’ll always miss,” Cinti said. “He said after they beat Williamsport last week, ‘Coach, I’m going to play in the game.’
“That’s his dedication and you’ve got to love that. That’s why 41 years ago I got into coaching.”
UNICO GAME
Pioneers 14, Miners 14
Pioneers`0`7`7`0 — 14
Miners`0`7`7`0 — 14
Second quarter
P – Brody Spindler 4 run (Cole Baldwin kick), 5:02
M – Trustin Johnson 2 run (Jaedyn Sanchez kick), 0:24
Third quarter
P – Jayden Skipalis 12 run (Baldwin kick), 3:04
M – Kevon Creech 61 pass from Jake Howe (Sanchez kick), 1:58
NOTE: Game halted by officials with 1:52 remaining
Team Statistics`P`M
First downs`12`10
Rushes-yards`34-192`16-60
Passing yards`0`131
Total yards`192`191
Passing`0-4-0`8-16-0
Sacked-yards lost`1-10`1-9
Punts-avg.`2-41.0`1-45.0
Fumbles-lost`0-0`2-1
Penalties-yards`3-25`0-0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — P, Skipalis 11-101, Logan Geskey 9-44, Spindler 12-42, John Richards 1-4, Aidan Brody 1-1. M, Howe 4-23, Johnson 7-17, Ashton Smith 2-11, Creech 1-10, Gene Ardo 1-6, Team 1-minus 9.
PASSING — P, Paulie Ferentino 0-2-0-0, Geskey 0-2-0-0. M, Howe 8-16-0-131.
RECEIVING — P, None. M, Creech 5-89, Jordan Kieselowsky 3-42.
INTERCEPTIONS — None.
MISSED FIELD GOALS — None.
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