Dallas quarterback Talan Geskey (15) backs over the goal line for a Mountaineers’ score to close out the first quarter against Pittston Area.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pittston Area quarterback Santino Salvo (15) eludes Dallas’ Marc Saracinaj (42) out of the pocket at Charley Trippi Stadium Friday night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
The Mountaineers’ Hunter Pitcavage (4) pulls down a Pittston Area pass for an interception on Friday.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Dallas’ Tyce Mason (2) hauls in a 53-yard pass from Talan Geskey against Pittston Area.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Tyce Mason (2) scores a touchdown just before halftime to give Dallas a 21-0 lead at the break on Friday.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
YATESVILLE — Dallas came out of Pittston Area with a special victory Friday night.
The Mountaineers used a boost from their special teams to score four touchdowns in 6:23 going into and coming out of halftime Friday night as they remained unbeaten and avenged a damaging loss from a year ago by beating host Pittston Area 35-7 at Charley Trippi Stadium.
The game matched last year’s Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 champions against the team that has established itself as the top threat to win Division 2 this year with the WVC’s only unbeaten overall record.
Realignment means there will not be a title decided between the Mountaineers and Patriots this season, but coach Rich Mannello said his team was well aware of last year’s 36-35 overtime loss at home to Pittston Area in a game that determined the division championship.
“We got beat by a very good football team,” Mannello said, “but Dallas kids have very long memories.”
Dallas was controlling play, but a few untimely penalties meant the Mountaineers led just 7-0 as halftime approached.
Talan Geskey scrambled for 19 yards to convert a third-and-8, then threw deep down the middle to Tyce Mason for 38 yards to set up the score that started the flurry.
Hunter Pitcavage powered into the end zone from 6 yards to make it 14-0.
Touchbacks and a kick the Patriots could not field meant Pittston Area was then backed up to its 20 four times and the 17 on the kickoffs that followed the four touchdowns and opened the second half. It also neutralized District 2’s most effective kick returner in Pittston Area’s Lucas LoPresto.
Brandon Miller handled those deep kickoffs, made his three extra-point attempts and punted efficiently.
“The best kick cover team is the one that doesn’t have to cover,” Mannello said. “Brandon did a heckuva job putting the ball in the end zone. (LoPresto) is one heckuva football player.”
The field position and a fired-up defense meant Pittston Area had to punt from in or near its end zone three times.
Bobby Gallagher broke through on the last one, blocking the punt into the air where Marc Saracinaj caught it and ran 13 yards for the score that made it 35-0 with 8:30 left in the third quarter.
“It’s the most important thing we do at Dallas,” Mannello said. “People may get sick of hearing about, but as long as I’m standing on that sideline, special teams is the number-one priority 12 months a year at Dallas.
“When you don’t see it in blocked punts and so on, there is hidden yardage that we see that makes a difference.”
Dallas also scored just before and after halftime.
Saracinaj took a screen pass 26 yards to the 6 and Dallas called its last timeout with 19 seconds left.
Geskey then found Mason in the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown and a 21-0 halftime lead.
The Mountaineers pushed the Patriots back to the 1 and took over at the 6.
Following two half-the-distance penalties, Pitcavage scored on first down less than two minutes into the third quarter.
The Dallas defense limited Pittston Area to three first downs and 58 yards before the long fourth-quarter drive that broke the shutout on a 2-yard Levi Pisano run with 3:32 remaining.
Geskey passed for 131 yards and also ran for a team-high 50 yards and a touchdown. He scored from the 1 in the closing seconds of the first quarter, capping 10-play, 95-yard drive.
Pittston Area falls to 1-3 going into next week’s Division 1 game at Hazleton Area.
Dallas is home against Wilkes-Barre Area.
Dallas 35, Pittston Area 7
Dallas`7`14`14`0 — 35
Pittston Area`0`0`0`7 — 7
First quarter
DAL – Talan Geskey 1 run (Brandon Miller kick), 0:19
Second quarter
DAL – Hunter Pitcavage 6 run (Miller kick), 2:53
DAL – Tyce Mason 6 pass from Talan Geskey (Miller kick), 0:16
Third quarter
DAL – Pitcavage 1 run (David Worth kick), 10:05
DAL – Marc Saracinaj 13 blocked punt return (Worth kick), 8:30
Fourth quarter
PA – Levi Pisano 2 run (Sam Augustine kick), 3:32
Team Statistics`DAL`PA
First downs`13`7
Rushes-yards`29-150`34-77
Passing yards`131`68
Total yards`281`145
Passing`7-14-0`10-21-1
Sacked-yards lost`0-0`1-17
Punts-avg.`3-32.3`5-36.4
Fumbles-lost`0-0`3-0
Penalties-yards`4-45`6-30
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — DAL, Geskey 9-50, Pitcavage 8-45, Saracinaj 6-35, Luke Kostick 2-16, Trevor Slavinski 1-6, Owen Oldt 1-0, Team 2-minus 2. PA, Jude Ferentino 19-73, Lucas LoPresto 5-20, Pisano 3-13, Deondre Miller 2-3, Team 2-minus 8, Santino Salvo 3-minus 24.
PASSING — DAL, Geskey 7-14-0-131. PA, Salvo 10-21-1-68.
RECEIVING — DAL, Mason 3-58, Saracinaj 2-58, Bobby Gallagher 1-13, Jim Youngblood 1-2. PA, LoPresto 5-25, Evan Mancini 2-31, John Jadus 1-6, Christian Cerasaro 1-4, Miller 1-2.
INTERCEPTIONS — DAL, Pitcavage 1-3.
MISSED FIELD GOALS — None.
Local journalism matters, and your support makes it possible. You can help sustain this work by making a donation or choosing one of our subscription options. Subscribers enjoy valuable benefits, including full access to our e-edition, a reduced ad experience on timesleader.com, and more.
Your support helps ensure independent, high-quality local news remains available today and for future generations. Thank you for standing with local journalism.