Hanover Area quarterback Logan Richardson navigates pressure from Lake-Lehman’s Logan Rybka.
Mark Moran | For Times Leader
Lake-Lehman’s Cordyn Harris finds room to run on Friday night.
Mark Moran | For Times Leader
Hanover Area wide receiver Conor Richardson (3) tries to escape a tackle by Lake-Lehman’s Rennen Smith.
Mark Moran | For Times Leader
Cordyn Harris hits the hole for Lake-Lehman in Friday night’s back-and-forth contest against Hanover Area.
Mark Moran | For Times Leader
HANOVER TWP. — Two big hits triggered a big comeback for Lake-Lehman on Friday night.
Those hits resulted in interceptions. Those interceptions resulted in touchdowns. And that helped the Black Knights turned an 18-point deficit into a 35-24 victory over Hanover Area in a Wyoming Valley Conference interdivisional game.
“I told them in the locker room — momentum,” said Lehman first-year coach Mike Mully, whose team improved to 2-3 overall. “We had the momentum and we have to keep the momentum going and going and going.
“We got them where we wanted them and those two turnovers were key. Big parts of the game right there.”
Hanover Area (0-5) led 24-6 with 1:39 left until halftime as quarterback Logan Richardson threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to receiver Angel Tejada on a third-and-21 play.
Hanover Area got the ball right back on an interception by Tejada, six plays later Lehman linebacker Marco Lenza hit Richardson as he was throwing. The ball fluttered to defensive tackle Zachary Koval, who hauled it in at the Hanover Area 19-yard line.
A play after a holding penalty, Lehman quarterback Jesse Strefel threw a 28-yard TD pass to running back Dylan Heinrich with 15 seconds left until halftime. A two-point conversion run by Cordyn Harris cut the deficit to 24-14.
Another big hit on Hanover Area’s third play from scrimmage in the third quarter resulted in another interception. Defensive back Anthony Magnotta drilled a receiver as the ball hit him in the hands. The ball popped up and linebacker Rennen Smith intercepted it at the Hanover Area 33.
Harris finished off the quick drive with a 20-yard TD pass from Strenfel to move Lehman within 24-20. However, the biggest issue for Hanover Area was Richardson was injured playing defense and didn’t return.
Richardson is one of the top passers in the WVC and his absence left Hanover Area’s offense limited. The Lehman defense keyed on Hanover Area running back Dewayne Downey, who had 93 yards and three rushing touchdowns in the first half. He finished with 105 yards.
Unable to move the ball, Hanover Area punted and Lehman took over at the Hawkeye 4-yard line after a long return by Heinrich and a facemask penalty on the play. Damon Bond scored from there to give Lehman its first lead, 28-24 with 1:26 left in the third quarter.
Magnotta cut off a Hanover Area threat with an interception at the goal line and a 24-yard return with 7:50 left in the fourth. Two plays after the interception, Harris broke off a 40-yard run and later scored on a 19-yard run.
Lake-Lehman 35, Hanover Area 24
Lake-Lehman`0`14`14`7 — 35
Hanover Area`6`18`0`0 — 24
First quarter
HAN — Dewayne Downey 22 run (pass failed), 8:06
Second quarter
HAN — Downey 2 run (run failed), 11:16
LL — Dylan Henrich 15 pass from Strenfel (kick blocked), 8:26
HAN — Downey 13 run (run failed), 8:05
HAN — Angel Tejada 75 pass from Logan Richardson (run failed), 1:39
LL — Dylan Heinrich 28 pass from Strenfel (Cordyn Harris run), 0:15
Third quarter
LL — Harris 20 pass from Strenfel (kick blocked), 9:21
LL — Damon Bond 4 run (Bond run), 1:26
Fourth quarter
LL — Harris 19 run (Kolby Shook kick), 5:27
Team statistics`LL`HAN
First downs`12`11
Rushes-yards`37-202`29-105
Passing yards`128`157
Total yards`330`262
Passing`5-8-1`11-28-4
Sacked-yards lost`0-0`3-19
Punts-avg.`3-28.6`4-27.3
Fumbles-lost`3-2`1-0
Penalties-yards`9-103`16-120
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Lehman, Harris 11-89, Heinrich 5-52, Bond 11-37, Strenfel 2-1, Devon Albee 4-26, team 2-(minus-3). Hanover Area, Downey 20-105, Logan Richardson 3-1, Greg McCoy 6-(minus-1).
PASSING — Lehman, Strenfel 5-8-1-128. Hanover Area, L.Richardson 7-16-2-120, McCoy 4-11-1-37, Luke Willis 0-1-1-0.
RECEIVING — Lehman, Heinrich 3-90, Albee 1-18, Harris 1-20. Hanover Area, Conor Richardson 8-60, Tejada 2-84, Willis 1-13.
INTERCEPTIONS —Lehman, Zachary Koval 1-0, Rennen Smith 1-0, Anthony Magnotta 1-24, Heinrich 1-28. Hanover Area, Tejada 1-0.
MISSED FGs — none.
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